For the past year, temporary signage and concrete dividers have blocked the northern side of the two-lane Cypress Creek Bridge and diverted westbound traffic into what would ordinarily be the eastbound lane.

That will change Feb. 3, when Virginia Department of Transportation contractor crews reconfigure the construction site to block the southern side and reopen the westbound lane.

The switch marks the latest milestone in VDOT’s nearly two-year rehabilitation of the circa-1975 bridge that connects downtown Smithfield with the east end of town. The reopened westbound lane on the north side will remain restricted to westbound-only traffic through the duration of the project, which is expected to be completed this fall. Eastbound traffic leaving downtown will continue to be diverted to the Route 10 Bypass via Main Street.

VDOT expects it will take several days to reposition the concrete dividers to complete the traffic shift.

“Drivers should stay alert and reduce speed as crew members will be working adjacent to vehicular traffic,” VDOT said in a news release. “To complete the traffic shift, crews will finish placement of pavement markings and lean reflectors in sections approaching the bridge, requiring daytime intermittent stoppages no longer than 15 minutes each, with traffic under flagger control.”

Once the switch is complete, the remaining open westbound lane will be narrowed to 10 feet 7 inches wide and remain closed to all wide-load vehicles.

VDOT awarded the $8.6 million contract in late 2023 to Portsmouth-based Crofton Construction. The work includes underwater pile repairs, the demolition and replacement of 18 spans, the repainting of steel beams and replacing the bridge’s sidewalk and barriers. Much of the work to date has occurred beneath the bridge out of the view of motorists.

The traffic shift is intended to facilitate the demolition and replacement of bridge spans on the western edge of the bridge, as well as utility work and the repair of the bridge’s sidewalk, which has to date remained open to pedestrians but will close to foot traffic starting Feb. 3 for the duration of the project.

Two more multi-day shutdowns of the bridge are expected before the project is complete. The first of four planned five-day closures of both lanes from April 8-9 of last year to facilitate the removal of existing bridge beams finished a full 3½ days early. The second, which entailed placing newly fabricated beams in their place, lasted from Aug. 19-20, again finishing three days ahead of schedule.

VDOT has not announced the dates of the third or fourth planned shutdowns.

VDOT had initially proposed alternating lane closures in 2023 but changed to the current westbound-only traffic plan at the request of town and Isle of Wight County officials who said the alternating lane closures would have impacted ambulance response times.