ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — A new bridge carrying Oglethorpe Boulevard over the Flint River in downtown Albany is scheduled to open Dec. 11, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

The contractor building the bridge has set the opening date for the crossing, which also carries U.S. 82 Business and State Route 520 Business in Dougherty County.

GDOT told WALB this summer that the bridge was expected to be complete at the end of September. Construction was halted earlier this year after crews had to remove mussels from the project area.

The new bridge replaces a crossing built in 1953 that was designed for vehicles lighter than those commonly driven today. The old bridge’s foundation was also unknown, raising concerns about its potential vulnerability to scour, the erosion of soil and sediment around bridge supports caused by flowing water.

The new crossing has four travel lanes, a sidewalk on the north side and a 12-foot shared-use path on the south side. Its west end, near the civic center, is wider than the east end to accommodate turn lanes for Front Street traffic.

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