A new stretch of U.S. Highway 59 opens to traffic today, but the rest of the $240 million project will have to wait until next year.

The 7.6-mile section of new four-lane freeway — from Interstate 35 northeast of Ottawa, north to the Douglas County line — is set to open at 10 a.m.

Once that section of new freeway opens, crews will close the old section of U.S. 59 in Franklin County to all but local traffic. That’s to allow for construction of a new connection between the two roads, a project expected to last for two months.

Work continues on an 11.1-mile stretch of new freeway, running north from the county line to a connection with the existing U.S. 59, just south of Lawrence.

A contractor to handle surfacing for the new U.S. 59 in Douglas County is scheduled to be hired in June, with that portion of the project to open in 2011.