The Mactaquac bridge reopened Tuesday as a single-lane crossing with traffic lights, after about a week of being fully closed to traffic.

Officially called the Approach Channel Bridge, adjoining the Mactaquac Dam, it has been undergoing rehabilitation over the last year. 

CBC News requested an interview with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure but was instead sent a short statement from spokesperson Tyler McLean that said concrete was poured on the bridge Friday and cured over the weekend.

The statement also said the bridge would remain as a single lane throughout the winter and through the 2024 construction season.

According to the department’s website, the project has an expected completion of November 2024. The work is meant to increase the span’s weight capacity and extend its life by around 30 years.

The bridge was originally expected to be closed completely from April 2023 to October 2023, but that has been adjusted, and the DTI website says no long-term detours are necessary. 

The Approach Channel Bridge project is different from the Mactaquac Life Achievement Project from N.B. Power, which seeks to maintain the Mactaquac Generating Station, enhance river health and improve fish passage. 

Construction for that project is still expected to begin in 2025, according to N.B. Power’s website.

Residents are used to crossing delays each summer at the dam, about 20 kilometres west of Fredericton. Maintenance on the dam routinely reduces the roadway to a single lane, and drivers must wait a few minutes for traffic lights to signal their turn to cross.