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The Burgoyne Bridge, which runs over the 406 and Twelve Mile Creek in St. Catharines was fitted with the first piece of its arch Tuesday night. The bridge was originally scheduled to open during the Pan Am games this past summer but it won’t be done until this spring.

Delays and closures will be frequent as crews complete the 150 metre arch. A stretch of the 406 will be sealed off nightly this month from 10 pm to 6 in the morning. St.Paul street will be closed Wednesday night and Thursday night as crews bring in more pieces of the arch. The arch is made up of 6 pieces, each one weighing about 80 tonnes.

“It will take approximately a month working around the clock to weld it all together for its final configuration.” Ron Tripp, public works, Niagara region.

In June the project was at the centre of a forensic audit. Replacing the bridge was estimated at $56 million but ballooned to $91 million. Public works commissioner Ron Tripp says environmental assessments and changes in design at the start of the project are to blame.

The bridge is expected to be open to traffic by the end of the year.