Bridge Street in downtown Westbrook will never be the same.

In just a short time Monday, traffic stopped flowing over the former Bridge Street bridge, the road was closed and traffic was redirected over the new bridge.

Along with the new bridge is a completely redesigned intersection at Main Street. Mid-day commuters in Westbrook were getting a taste of the new traffic pattern Monday, just after the new bridge opened at around 11:30 a.m. A traffic light in front of Family Dollar now directs vehicles coming off the bridge.

For the city, the opening of the new bridge signals a big step toward a $6.2 million redesign of the downtown, which, when complete, will feature a pedestrian bridge and other streetscape enhancements designed to make the area more pedestrian-friendly.

Jack Turner, the foreman of the project for Reed & Reed Inc., said Tuesday that if all goes as planned, the entire project could be finished by August 2016, which would be roughly six months ahead of schedule.

Just on the other side of the Edwards Block building (home to Portland Pie), utility crews on Monday were removing a portion of the traffic signal at the former Bridge Street intersection, where the signal will no longer be required for traffic on Main Street.

Turner said the changeover went smoothly Monday, although a few motorists attempted to turn onto the former Bridge Street, which was blocked off by both police cars and road-closed signs at the start of the bridge.

Reed & Reed will now begin demolition of the former bridge. Turner said the company is bringing in a 250-ton crane for the project, which will dwarf the 100-ton red crane that has been on site since the start of construction.

“It’s a massive crane,” he said, adding that he hopes to have the old bridge out by the end of January.

Workers will remove the bridge structure but leave the concrete underneath, which will support the new pedestrian bridge.

Bill Baker, Westbrook’s assistant city administrator for business and community relations, said Monday that the early opening of the bridge is “very positive news.”

“It comes at a critical time as we work with building owners and landowners in the downtown to stimulate economic activity in and around the downtown,” he said, referring to recent announcements of new businesses downtown. These include the notable proposed redevelopment of the former Maine Rubber site into a medical building, a craft brewery next door, and continued growth of tenants in the Dana Warp Mill.

Baker said the early timeline helps the overall economic health of the downtown.

“Construction equals hassle and hassle equals frustration, so the fact that this process is ahead of schedule and leading us to significant improvements in the way downtown looks and feels, is great news,” he said.

For the businesses on either side of the construction, the project has been a big change, but has seemingly not harmed business. The city worked with Reed & Reed to make sure access to the businesses was left unimpeded as much as possible.

James Tranchemontagne, the owner of the Frog & Turtle restaurant on Bridge Street, said the construction hasn’t had much of an impact – yet.

“The construction so far has not been hard on us,” he said. “This next phase may have more of an impact as they transform the old bridge.”

He believes the exit of Disability RMS has had more of an impact on business, and is more concerned for what the end project will look like.

“I am more worried about the impact when the project is completed,” he said. “We have lost views of the falls that will not be visible from the new pedestrian bridge.”

Tranchemontagne added that, in the short term, he is also concerned for pedestrian access to his business.

Due to the planned pedestrian bridge, there is no sidewalk on the new Bridge Street bridge. However, Reed & Reed has built a temporary sidewalk on the new bridge that will be used until the pedestrian bridge is complete.

A few comments appeared on a Westbrook community Facebook page Tuesday about first experiences with the new bridge. One said it felt “weird,” while another said it “will take a bit to get used to, especially coming from Main Street.”

A drone’s-eye view of Westbrook’s new Bridge Street bridge taken Monday shows traffic moving smoothly over the new span on its first day open. Next on the project agenda: The old bridge, which is blocked off, will be removed. Photo courtesy of Chris DudleyTraffic moves over the new Westbrook bridge Monday, next to a temporary sidewalk that will serve pedestrians until a separate pedestrian bridge is erected in 2016. Staff photo by Andrew Rice