After more than a year of construction, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians commuting through a busy part of Arapahoe County near Interstate 25 are seeing some relief.

Two recently completed infrastructure projects, totaling nearly $12 million, are part of a broader effort to improve the area around the I-25 and Dry Creek Road interchange and Inverness Drive. County officials say the improvements are designed to address growing traffic congestion and improve safety as the corridor sees more development and travel in the years ahead.

Paul Laboda, who lives near the interchange, said navigating the area had long been difficult.

"It just looked like it was too tight an area for the amount of cars going through it," he said.

To alleviate traffic, crews extended the right lane on Dry Creek Road to Inverness Drive East and added a new right-turn lane at Inverness Drive West.

"It makes it easier for us to pull into this area where we live, because we're not competing with traffic coming across all the time," Laboda said.

Arapahoe County Commissioner Jessica Campbell said community feedback highlighted a growing desire for more transportation options beyond cars.

"They want to bike, they want to walk, (use) e-bikes, little scooters," she said. "It's not just all about cars anymore."

To support that, the second project added six-foot-wide bike lanes along Inverness Drive West and installed three roundabouts to slow traffic and improve safety.

David Worley, president and CEO of Denver South -- a group focused on transportation along the I-25 South corridor -- called the improvements "a great project."

"It provides dedicated bike lanes, which increases rider safety," he said. "The future is really about the first and last mile for riders. Getting from a light rail station to your office or to your home is the big challenge, and this really helps with that."

Laboda said he's already noticed the difference.

"I like the improvements. The roundabouts -- they slow people down a little bit," he said.

Both projects are part of ongoing efforts to enhance mobility in and around the Denver metro area.