The long anticipated re-opening of the Mathis Bridge is here.

The NJ DOT says one lane of traffic will be open heading east on Route 37 over the Mathis and all three lanes will be open between now and Memorial Day weekend.

You can officially take your first trip over the Mathis Bridge starting at 11:00 am today until 9:00 am tomorrow, according to the NJ DOT.

Officials say the traffic shift back onto the Mathis Bridge from the Tunney Bridge is should be done by early Thursday morning.

The closure of the mile-long Mathis Bridge for construction forced drivers to head over the taller Tunney Bridge with two lanes of traffic heading westbound and one heading eastbound with a movable barrier in between.

So, before the other two lanes can open up, the crossover from Route 37 onto the bridge has to be taken away.

Most of the repair work is done outside some minor "punch list items" that have to be finished and will take place in the fall, but the good news is, they say, it "should have little effect on traffic."

The $74,000,000.00 federally-funded project replaced the existing bridge deck on the Mathis Bridge, which is 68 years old, made safety improvements to the barrier and railings, and repaired and replaced mechanical and electrical components that operate the moveable lift span.

Construction was accomplished in three winter seasons so that the work didn't hurt summer traffic.

New warning gates and lights were the most recent installations and new bridge approaches and the cast-in-place anchor spans were also completed.

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