Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect the opening date for the bridge provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

LUMBERTON, N.C. (WBTW) — Drivers in Lumberton will be detoured around the W. 2nd Street bridge in downtown Lumberton as crews work to replace the bridge.

The bridge will be closed starting at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 when a contractor for the North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin work to replace the bridge. The new bridge is scheduled to open by May 2025.

The half-mile detour will use W. 5th and N. Water streets. Signs announcing the closure were posted on Wednesday.

Smith-Rowe LLC of Mount Airy was awarded a $6.8 million contract in July to replace the 89-year-old bridge. The bridge, which carries 13,000 vehicles each day, is a primary route into downtown, according to NCDOT.

The new bridge will include a 14-foot travel lane in each direction, the addition of a 12-foot center turn lane to match the road design in either side of the bridge, a guardrail similar to the structure’s present rail barrier and five-foot sidewalks on either side.

In addition, the bridge will be built to accommodate decorative lighting that is similar to the current bridge. The city of Lumberton will install the lighting before the bridge is opened to traffic.