Construction on two bridges on East Main Street should wrap up for the year by late next week, and the road will reopen for traffic for the first time since February, the project engineer said.

Activity has picked up in recent weeks as contractors for several portions of the project have begun working at once, said engineer Jim Roberts. Paving, lighting and other crews have been on the job recently, putting concrete on most of the new bridge to the west of First Avenue and the resurfaced bridge to the east, installing a new traffic light at First and Main, and putting in curbs and gutters.

The project was originally to be done by Nov. 1, but the work has drifted behind schedule, Roberts said.

&uot;They’re not too far behind,&uot; he said.

MnDOT will make an announcement as soon as it knows when the road will reopen, he said.

The project has caused traffic to swell on Front and Clark streets and at times has closed off First and Euclid avenues, cutting off transportation on the east side of the city. The old viaduct bridge was torn down last spring, and the bridge to the east has been closed since August as it is repaved.