The 102 Avenue bridge project is nearing its completion, bringing relief to business owners in the area after struggling for two years of delays.

Construction began at the end of the 2014 summer, and while the project was supposed to be finished October 2015, nothing has gone as planned – including Thursday’s announcement that the bridge could open as early as the end of July or the start of August.

“We’re targeting early August, I would say at the latest, to get four lanes of traffic and pedestrians on the bridge,” said Adam Laughlin, General Manager of Integrated Infrastructure Services for the city.

Construction was delayed last summer when four girders buckled during their installment in March, making the October deadline unattainable.

The near one-year delay resulted in a decrease in business activity in the area as 102 Avenue saw much less traffic.

“Any traffic travelling on that road that can get through is great news,” said business owner Debbie Pineo. “We were considering whether we would be able to continue, and so far we have been able to hold on.”

City officials say that paving and waterproofing are next on the to-do list, and barring constant rainfalls in July, the bridge will finally open soon.