NATCHEZ — The westbound Mississippi River Bridge could reopen fully by late fall and potentially open for single-lane traffic as early as the end of summer, an MDOT spokesperson said Friday.

On July 11, 2017, the bridge closed for a nearly $27 million pin-and-link replacement project, as well as a new paint-job. Now, that project is slated to wrap up in late fall if all goes according to plan, MDOT Public Information Officer Jas N. Smith said. At that point, both the westbound and eastbound bridges will reopen fully.

But even before then, completion of the pin and link replacements could have both bridges open to single-lane traffic by the end of this summer, Smith said. At that point, each bridge will still have one lane closed so workers can perform additional maintenance work while still allowing traffic to flow in each direction, Smith said.

“Getting both bridges open will be a big step,” he said.

Though MDOT had planned to have the bridge closed only for up to a year, Smith said the project was delayed a few months because of weather — both summer rains in 2017 and the winter storms before and after the 2018 New Year. Based on his knowledge, Smith attributed any delays in the project solely to weather.

The contractor — Blastech Enterprises — would face a $10,000 late penalty a day should the project extend past 365 calendar days. Smith, however, said Monday that number does not include weather days when crews could not perform work. Due to the high number of weather delays incurred to date, MDOT officials said Friday they did not foresee any late fees being assessed, Smith said.

The contract officially lasts through April 2019, though Smith said the project is on schedule to actually conclude well before then.

The replacement of pins and links, Smith said, is a fairly rare undergoing that involves using cranes to pull out the approximately 10-foot pins — which give the bridge flexibility and help it absorb stress from traffic — and inserting new ones individually.

Once that portion of the project is done, Smith said the painting would go much faster. The new paint, Smith said, provides a protective coat that reduces corrosion.

The estimated fall completion date of the entire project is weather-dependent, Smith said.

Since the closure, the eastbound lane of the Mississippi River Bridge has handled both directions of traffic with one lane heading each direction.