Henley Bridge reopens in few hours

Finally. Tonight. Da Bridge opens. From WBIR: After being closed for almost three years, the Tennessee Department of Transportation will reopen the delay-plagued Henley Bridge on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 12:01 a.m.

TDOT Commissioner John Schroer announced the bridge will initially reopen one lane in both directions. However, bike lanes won't be open until the final completion date which is June 3, 2014.

Schroer said the bridge is structurally ready for traffic and that remaining work will mostly be aesthetics.

TDOT also announced the estimated cost of the project remains unchanged at $31 million.

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett tweeted this pic earlier today

The Henley Bridge closed back in January 2011. Within the first year, two workers were killed working on the project, causing construction to temporarily shut down. Later, TDOT announced crews would need to replace three of the large concrete pier columns, pushing the completion date into 2014.