By CRAIG FREILICH

CANTON –The contractor working on the bridge across the Grasse River is changing lanes today.

On two lanes, “the new wearing surface has been poured out and cured” and is ready to take traffic, according to state Department of Transportation Region 7 spokesman Mike Flick in Watertown

The lane closures and traffic controls have snarled traffic through the village since work began in the spring.

People who regularly use the bridge – or try to – will be somewhat relieved to know that the project is reaching its halfway point, and are looking forward to completion of the work on the only bridge across the river through the county seat.

Depending on the time of day, delays of up to 45 minutes to travel the mile and a half from the Price Chopper to the other side of the bridge are still being reported, according to Police Chief James Santimaw.

“With Canton Central and the two colleges out of session, it’s better as far as the traffic goes,” Santimaw said. “Most of the local people have found other ways, on the Potsdam-Morley Road or the Miner Street Road, and that’s also helping alleviate some of the backlog.”

Contractor D.A. Collins, based in Wilton, has finished work on the surface of the two lanes on the north side of the bridge, closer to the Cascade Motel, and will be starting on the lanes on the south, the Gouverneur Street side.

The switching of lanes is not a simple matter and won’t be done in an instant, Flick said.

“The switchover always takes a while. They have to rearrange traffic control, shift the barriers, have a safety meeting -- then they should be ready to go,” Flick said.

The work is scheduled to be done in the fall.