WATERVILLE — The eastbound lane of the Ticonic Bridge spanning the Kennebec River from Waterville to Winslow opened at 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.

The bridge, being replaced by Cianbro Corp. as part of a $60 million project, has been closed for about six months. During the closure, motorists have been using the Carter Memorial Bridge south of the Ticonic, and the bridges over the Kennebec in Fairfield to the north.

“It is scheduled to open at 5 o’clock — eastbound,” Andrew Gobeil, Department of Transportation communications director, said Thursday.

Cianbro, based in Pittsfield, has been working on the construction for more than two years. Tom Senior, Cianbro’s project manager on the bridge effort, said last month that the team had nearly completed the first phase of the construction project.

Midday Thursday, the paved eastbound lane appeared ready for opening, with a new sidewalk, curbing and striping completed.

Both Waterville City Engineer Andrew McPherson and Winslow’s public works director Paul Fongemie said recently that the bridge work has gone smoothly and Cianbro has been quick to address any issues or concerns.

Waterville Mayor Mike Morris said having the eastbound lane reopen will alleviate a bottleneck that occurs around 5 p.m. when vehicles cross the Carter Memorial Bridge from Winslow to Waterville. That bottleneck continues onto Silver street, as well as onto Kennedy Memorial Drive, he said.

The bridge replacement project started in December 2022 and is expected to be completed in May 2027. The eastbound lane closed in January this year.

Cianbro officials said late last year that westbound traffic on the Ticonic Bridge would be diverted for about two more years. Pedestrians have been using the Two Cent Bridge to the north as an alternate route.

The new bridge is being built one half at a time. Funding to replace the bridge includes a $25 million federal grant, about $20 million in federal funding, with the remainder funded with state and local money.

The Maine Department of Transportation’s grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation said the bridge had deteriorated to the point that the end of its useful life was near. Further attempts to repair or rehabilitate the bridge would not restore the full integrity of the structure to meet today’s safety needs, load requirements or geometric standards.

The new bridge will improve traffic flow and mobility of local residents, commercial vehicles and tourists that are vital to the region’s economy, officials said.

The bridge was a steel truss bridge in the 1800s, according to the state DOT website. In December 1909, a concrete-arch trolley bridge was built and opened, with a 500-foot track that spanned the river at Main and Bridge streets. In its heyday, the trolley carried more than 2 million passengers a year.

The flood of 1936 significantly damaged the bridge and reconstruction was done as part of the U.S. Works Program Flood Relief projects, according to the transportation department. The bridge was widened in 1970.