Good news for drivers in Owen Sound.
The 9th Street bridge in the downtown core has re-opened to traffic until construction can resume in the spring.
Owen Sound Mayor Deb Haswell was the first to drive across the new bridge on Wednesday to officially open the structure to traffic.
Director of Operations, John Johnston says that while the reconstruction is not entirely complete, it has been built to a state that will allow for safe use by vehicles and pedestrians.
Johnston says the temporary two way traffic operation on 1st avenue west between 8th and 9th street west will remain in place until the project is completed in 2011.
Johnston says he hoped the bridge would be finished by now, but there were several setbacks due to the weather and the severing of a series of phone cables during construction last month.
A re-dig of a section of 9th street East is planned for the spring, during which Bell Canada will install new fibre optic phone cables. Most of that cost will be picked up by Bell.
Johnston says when construction resumes, curbs and sidewalks will be installed and some paving work will be finished up.
The budget for the bridge work was initially pegged at $3,471,050 and Johnston says that hasn’t changed much.
