Work has begun on the $1.8bn I-595 express lanes project in the US state of Florida to build reversible express electronic toll lanes in what is now the expressway.

The project includes building three reversible lanes in the median along 10.5 miles of I-595 running east-west and linking key interchanges on I-75, I-95 and the Florida Turnpike, as well as adding three lanes in each direction to the I-595 mainline.

The public-private partnership project, expected to finish in 2014, is being carried out by the Florida Department of Transportation and its private partner Actividades de Construcción y Servicios (ACS) Infrastructure Development, Spain.

ACS will finance, design and carry out the construction as well as maintain and operate the roadway for 30 years.

The US Department of Transportation is providing $603m towards the project, which is expected to significantly reduce congestion in Broward County.