KENNESAW - The reopening of the bridge at Old Highway 41 and Stilesboro Road near Kennesaw Mountain has been postponed for the third time, said Bob Galante, Engineering Division manager for the Cobb County Department of Transportation.

Galante said rain and snow caused further delays. The bridge is now set to open on May 31. Construction began on July 8, 2009, and was originally scheduled to open Dec. 21, before being pushed back to March 11, and now the end of May.

"This has been the worst winter, weather-wise, I've ever seen in the county," Galante said. "If the soil gets wet, we can't work to put things in place and CSX won't allow us to build over the railroad if it will pose any danger to the railroads that would affect trains traveling over them. We just have to look out for the safety of the construction workers, CSX workers and drivers."

The $1.6 million bridge project has not seen a rise in cost as a result of the constant setbacks because the contractor, E.R. Snell, has no provision in its contract for additional funding if the project becomes delayed over time, Galante said.

Galante also said the new schedule the contractor has submitted to the county includes a week of weather-related delays in case bad weather continues. That means the bridge could reopen earlier than May 31 if the weather does not cause further delays.

The bridge has finally reached a major milestone, Galante said, as the contractor set beams over the railroad tracks last week, which he said is extremely weather-dependant and has constantly been pushed back due to wet soil.

Construction includes widening the bridge and adding sidewalks for safety as several pedestrians use the bridge to access Kennesaw Mountain Park.

Former Cobb DOT Director David Montanye said in December that the new concrete bridge will be 48 feet wide. There will be two 14-foot travel lanes with 10-foot sidewalks on each side. The new bridge will ultimately be part of a new trail in that area.

Stan Bond, park superintendent at Kennesaw Mountain, said the bridge would be a major safety improvement. Park officials have recognized for years the hazards of pedestrians trying to cross the bridge with no sidewalk and little room for them to walk across. An average of 9,020 cars crossed the bridge each day while it was in operation.

Vehicles heading south on Old Highway 41 are being detoured to Barrett Parkway or Ridenour Road, while northbound traffic is being sent to Stilesboro Road.