Big Al’s owner Al Cohen thinks people will like the new Barters Island bridge. He liked what he saw of it March 10 when he was crossing the one-lane, temporary bridge.

“The new bridge opened next to me. (There were) a whole bunch of people watching. They were testing the gates. They were testing the lights. And they actually opened the bridge,” Cohen said in a phone interview afterward.

“I thought it’s very nice, and that you won’t have to wait for the traffic lights” when it opens, Cohen said. He observed, the lights at the temporary bridge take up islanders’ time. “They’re going to be very happy” with the new bridge, he said. Cohen shared with Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper a series of photos he took of the new bridge on the move.

Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Paul Merrill said in email responses March 11, “The openings to date have been to test the mechanical and electrical systems before the new bridge goes into full service. It's standard practice for movable bridges to be tested extensively to make sure they are operating correctly and safely. We're currently adjusting the bridge based on the test results.”

The bridge is now planned to open to traffic by mid-May, Merrill said. The project is set to be done, and the temporary bridge removed, in mid-July, he said.