Commuters and others who routinely cross the Twigg Bridge between Mathews and Middlesex counties got a welcome surprise Monday morning, as both lanes of the Piankatank River span were once again open to traffic.

As some area drivers have been painfully aware, the bridge was the subject of a two-year rehabilitation project, during which time traffic signals were in place on both the Mathews and Middlesex sides of the bridge, alternating traffic on one of the two lanes while work to replace the deck was completed.

On Friday afternoon, officials from the Virginia Department of Transportation gave the bridge one last inspection before both lanes were reopened to traffic.

Construction work was done in two phases. The first phase involved replacing the deck on the northbound lane.

That work fell several months behind schedule, necessitating that crews from Precon Marine Inc. of Chesapeake work seven days a week, and between 12-24 hours a day to get the work done in time, according to VDO...