After 18 months without a bridge crossing the Mississippi River on one of St. Cloud’s main roads, the new Granite City Crossing is set to open to traffic on Thursday at 10:00 am.

Mayor Dave Kleis made the announcement Monday morning at a dedication ceremony for the nearly completed bridge. People attending the ceremony were allowed to walk across it.

The new bridge replaces the DeSoto Bridge, which was torn down last March after inspectors found distorted gusset plates. The inspection was one of many carried out across the state after the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis. A federal investigation concluded that undersized gusset plates were a key factor in that collapse. Pegg Gustafson, of St. Cloud’s Downtown Council, says they can’t wait for Thursday.

The St. Cloud bridge project has taken about a year and a half. The contractor will get a bonus for finishing before the deadline.