EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio - An East Liverpool bridge that's been closed for six years is now finally reopened to traffic.

The Elizabeth Street Bridge has been closed to traffic since January of 2017 following a recommendation by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

An engineering consultant said the bridge's concrete supports were in such bad condition that the entire bridge needed to be torn down.

Ever since then, the closure posed an inconvenience to residents of the Klondyke neighborhood on the city's east side, as the only other route to and from the neighborhood included railroad tracks, which could potentially back up traffic in the event of a train passing through.

In May of 2021, work began on replacing the bridge, and the bridge officially reopened to traffic on Thursday. 

To celebrate the completion and reopening of the new bridge, two of the oldest residents in the neighborhood took the inaugural drive over the bridge.