BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Commuters no longer need to worry about detours or construction delays near Lake Whatcom.

Both lanes reopened on the Electric Avenue bridge over Whatcom Creek near Bloedel Donovan Park on Wednesday, Sept. 18 – two days ahead of schedule.

The bridge was shut down on Sept. 9 as crews reinforced the bridge’s structure. In June, the bridge was initially closed for eight days after an inspection found significant decay within the bridge’s support beams.

The City of Bellingham has been working to secure funding to fully reconstruct the bridge, which was originally built in 1959. That project is expected to take several years to complete.

The proposed new bridge will be wider, with two vehicle lanes, separated bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides.