CLEARWATER - When the summer beach season arrives in May, locals and visitors will see a Clearwater Beach vastly different from last year's version, at least at the southern end.

The barricades came down today along South Gulfview Boulevard, which has been a construction zone for the past year. The rebuilt roadway opened with widened sidewalks and new crosswalks -- part of the $30 million Beach Walk project city officials expect to complete in July, six months ahead of schedule.

"When we saw the traffic start coming down, we all laughed and jumped and clapped," said Debra Collins, general manager at Frenchy's South Beach Café on South Gulfview. "We were happy to finally see traffic coming down here and giving us business."

When the project began, workers closed South Gulfview and motorists had to navigate through dirt parking lots and around temporary barriers.

The construction forced Frenchy's to close from September to March, Collins said. Her business was not alone. Several other shops and restaurants had to shut down, saying the foot traffic they've seen in previous years just wasn't there.

"It was very slow," Collins said. "There was no business, basically. Hopefully, everybody will see, yes, we're still alive."

Beach Walk is the winding promenade that is replacing South Gulfview and its old beach parking lots. City leaders say it will offer walkers, skaters and bicyclists a place to socialize, dine or simply enjoy the sun and surf.

"It's a great thing not just for tourists but also for our citizens," Mayor Frank Hibbard said. "This is a place where you can come and interact with the beach and the waterfront. Not necessarily get wet and sandy, but enjoy beautiful sunsets and weather like we have today."

Hibbard said Beach Walk has helped spur development of three hotels along the beach, including a Hyatt.

"All of that came about when developers saw the plans for what was going to be in front of their resorts overlooking the beautiful sandy beaches of Clearwater," Hibbard said.

Not everybody shares his enthusiasm, though. Beachgoer Kimberly Swailes has mixed feelings about the project.

"I think it's a good place for pedestrians to stay safe and walk around," she said. "It's beautiful, obviously, but down here in Clearwater Beach, we need more parking. There's just not enough parking for people."

The parking crunch contributed to a slower-than-normal spring break season and kept some visitors away.

Hibbard, though, said Beach Walk absolutely will be worth it in the long run.

"Tourism is our No. 1 industry," he said. "And we need to make sure that that industry is strong."

The project, which is being paid for with private and public money, will be completed well before the January target date, officials said.

Next week, work will resume on Coronado Drive to add parking and improved lighting.