SANDPOINT — After a bumpy start, work on the Long Bridge across Lake Pend Oreille is hitting its stride — so much so that it could be completed ahead of schedule.

Construction on the bridge is nearing the halfway point, with most of the southbound lane complete, according to Megan Jahns, public information officer for the Idaho Transportation Department.

“Our inspectors are satisfied with the work quality and are noticing how much smoother the bridge will be for drivers and our plows alike,” she said.

After taking the weekend off, the contractor is scheduled to return Tuesday night and plans to finish work on the southbound side before moving to the northbound side, Jahns said. If the weather holds, crews could potentially finish early based on their current rate of progress.

Traffic delays are currently ranging from 11 to 18 minutes, depending on the direction of travel.

“This is much better than the delays from the tech issues and backup plans we faced during our first week of work,” Jahns said. “This is much more in line with the delays we expect to see in any work zone, though we will continue to monitor and adjust as we’re able.”

The smoother operation marks a significant improvement from the first few days of work, when technical glitches with the automated flagging system caused delays of 45 minutes to several hours.

The system is designed so that human flaggers stationed safely at either end can operate stop-and-go signs with handheld devices. However, it did not work as intended, forcing the contractor to switch to a timed mode, which caused traffic queues to back up on both sides of the bridge.

Following the initial hiccup, Jahns said crews were able to reduce delays by having flaggers manually manage traffic during the first part of the shift. Once traffic calms down in the evening, they switch to the automated system.

Jahns said ITD has received several requests from residents to begin work later in the evening and to schedule around additional sporting events.

“Starting later is an option we may explore if delays exceed what they’ve been recently,” she said.

Jahns added that ITD will take note of the community’s desire to plan around all sporting events in Sandpoint — not just high school events — for future projects.

“Last year, the majority of comments focused on high school events, so that’s where we focused when working with the contractor and planning this year’s schedule,” she said.

A landmark in the community, the current Long Bridge was built in 1981 and underwent a rehabilitation project a few years ago that extended its design life from 75 to 100 years. A pedestrian bridge, which runs parallel, was built in 1956. Closed to vehicles, the pedestrian bridge was reinforced during the same project.