Two years in the making, a project to make one of the most-congested stretches of freeway in the state – Interstate 405 between I-5 and SR 167 – an easier drive ends Friday.

In time for the Friday morning commute (hopefully) the state Department of Transportation will have opened up the final new lane on that stretch of freeway.

Now, in both directions, there will be three general purpose lanes and an HOV lane. Two bottlenecks are gone, the onramp from Rainier Avenue to southbound I-405 and from northbound I-405 to southbound SR 167.

Some work remains to be done and some nighttime lane closures may occur, according to project engineer Jon Harris.

The new lanes are part of the $91.5 million, I-405/I-5 to SR 169 Stage 1 widening project that is funded by the 2003 and 2005 gas tax increases.

The Stage 2 of the project is under way now, near Renton City Hall, that will improve congestion at Talbot Road.

“The two projects together will make a big improvement for the whole area,” Harris said.