The recent arrival of winter weather has delayed the opening of the new Niles Main Street Bridge to traffic.

Chris Jacobs, project engineer with the Michigan Department of Transportation, said the opening date has been pushed back to Dec. 11, although there remains a small possibility that it could open earlier.

“Even if we get a little more weather I think we should be OK [with that date],” he said. “I think they will shoot for that Friday.”

Two weeks ago, MDOT officials said they were hoping to have the bridge open to traffic by today, Nov. 25.

However, recent snowfall and cold weather has made it difficult, he said, for workers to finish pouring concrete for sidewalks on the east side of the river.

Other aspects of bridge construction have also been set back because of the conditions.

“The snow and the rain and the cold is holding up some of our operations — we can’t do them,” he said. “They are working at it hard.

“We are actually being held up on some of the sidewalk concrete. Our biggest hurdle is the concrete and some other temperature sensitive things. If it’s raining we can’t pour concrete either.”

People passing by the bridge over the last few days will have noticed that the arched railing has been installed.

Jacobs said the last of the cofferdam would be coming out of the river along with the haul road in the next few days.

“We are setting the street lights — they will be done at the beginning of next week,” he said. “Then we have to complete the sidewalk on the east side.”

Workers also have to lay topsoil, set pavement markings, seal concrete joints with rubber and place the guard rail on the west side of the river.

“Then we will clean up and shut down for the year,” he said.

Work to demolish the former bridge and build a new one began in October 2014. It is being spearheaded by MDOT and is expected to cost approximately $10.6 million.