WATERVILLE — The Ticonic Bridge that spans the Kennebec River reopened to two-way traffic Wednesday night for the first time since work on the $52.8 million project began in 2023.

The Maine Department of Transportation is urging travelers to be aware of the new traffic pattern in the area as they approach the bridge that connects Waterville and Winslow.

Construction on the bridge is about eight months ahead of schedule, said Ben Walz, resident engineer of the Maine Department of Transportation’s bridge program. While Walz expects a few more one-way lane closures, he said the project will wrap up in a few weeks.

The bridge carries approximately 17,430 cars per day according to data from 2021, Walz said.

Future lane closures will be restricted, so the bridge cannot close to westbound traffic between 6 and 9 a.m. or between 2 and 4 p.m., or to eastbound traffic between 2 and 6 p.m.

Contractor Cianbro was eligible for an early-opening incentive of $5,000 per day for reopening to westbound traffic ahead of the date listed in its contract. Based on the actual reopening date, Walz said Cianbro is expected to earn $435,000, $15,000 less than the maximum incentive possible.

“A community celebration to mark the completion of this important project is being planned, and additional details will be shared soon,” the department said in a social media post Wednesday.

Other social media messages followed from the Waterville Police Department and the Town of Winslow.

Before 7 p.m., Cianbro workers stood at either end of the bridge, which has been paved and striped, near the barrels that have blocked traffic from the construction site. Gradually, traffic around the Waterville side of the bridge picked up, with people checking to see whether the barrels had been removed.

A man driving on Front Street pulled into the closed left-turn lane, leaned out his window and announced he wanted to be the first car to cross the bridge.

One of the Cianbro employees standing inside the closed-off area said they were waiting for the lights to be active and that the bridge wasn’t opening at 7 p.m.

“We don’t know where that information came from,” the worker said.

“It came from the Town of Winslow on Facebook,” the driver said.

Cianbro Corp., which was awarded the contract, started work on the bridge replacement project in 2023. During that time, traffic has been detoured around the bridge to accommodate partial or complete closures.

The project to replace the 113-year-old bridge was expected to take four years. Officials originally estimated that construction would be complete by May 2027.

Most recently, a full closure of the bridge to both traffic and pedestrians was announced in May, with an expected reopening date of June 29.