EVERETT, Wash. -- Nearly three years of heartache for Everett commuters is about to come to an end.

Late Thursday morning, the Washington State Department of Transportation is set to complete the final leg of a massive $263 million project with a ceremony for opening of HOV lanes along I-5.

The multi-faceted project began in September, 2005 and has caused quite a headache for commuters over the years as crews shifted lanes and had occasional closures. But the DOT hopes it will all be worth it as that area was notorious for being one of the worst traffic chokepoints in the state. It was the third-largest project in Washington state history.

Even before the HOV lanes open, the DOT says their other already-completed traffic projects had dropped the average time to navigate that eight-mile stretch from 18 minutes to 10 minutes.

There will be a big ceremony at 10 a.m. with Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, Snohomish County executive Aaron Reardon, and several contractors and engineers. Then, early Friday morning, crews will open the new HOV on-ramp from Broadway Avenue to southbound I-5, and the new HOV off ramp from northbound I-5 to Broadway Avenue.