The Southeast Connector project reaches another milestone today with the opening of the segment of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway from Southeast Ninth Street to Southeast 15th Street. The roadway opened to traffic at 9 a.m. today, the city of Des Moines said in a release. Stop signs will be installed on Scott Avenue at the Southeast 12th Street and Southeast 15th Street intersections to allow free movement from the Southeast Connector to Maury Street. The construction cost for the new section of the parkway was $8 million. The total cost of the Southeast Connector project between the Des Moines River and U.S. Highway 65 is estimated at $180 million and is now about half completed, the city said. The next phase of the Southeast Connector from Southeast 15th to Southeast 30th Street is expected to be complete and open to traffic in 2016.