STAFFORD - It's a bridge known by many names: The Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge; the Manahawkin Bay Bridge or simply just the "causeway" bridge.

But the only thing Ocean County residents and Shore-bound travelers need to know with Memorial Day weekend around the corner? The bridge — or bridges, as the case may be — is open.

After nearly seven years of construction, construction on the $319 million project to replace and repair the bridges connecting Manahawkin and Ship Bottom is "essentially complete," state Department of Transportation spokesman Stephen Schapiro said.

"There's no question this will help to alleviate some of the traffic issues we've had in the past," Stafford Mayor Greg Myhre said. "But it'll be hard to fully assess until we get through the summer. That will tell us quite about how this will all work."

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Construction began on the Manahawkin Bay Bridges project in 2013, more than 50 years after the old "Causeway Bridge" first opened. The problems with the structure were gradual: While bridges are designed to expand and contract during fluctuating temperatures, the structure became saturated with salt water, locking pieces of the bridge in place.

Pressure built up in the span and, coupled with the weight of more cars than the engineers could ever expect, it began to decay.

The main focus of the Manahawkin Bay Bridges project was turning that one bridge into two. A brand new bridge was built from scratch, parallel to the existing span, with a simpler, sleek design that allows it to expand and contract during fluctuating temperatures without letting in saltwater air.

The new span opened to the public in 2016, carrying all traffic to and from the island while DOT contractors spent the last three years completely rehabilitating the 60-year-old bridge.

Before the repairs, the old bridge looked "like an old car," DOT engineer Charles Bassano told the Asbury Park Press in 2016, shortly before the new bridge opened.

"And (the new bridge) is this year's model car. It's sleek. It looks like one continuous piece. If you look at this old one, there's nothing like that going on here."

Now that both bridges are up and running, the newer bridge will handle all eastbound traffic toward Long Beach Island while the older, renovated bridge will handle traffic away from the island.

Work upgrading the smaller bridges connecting Cedar Bonnet Island to LBI is also complete, Schapiro said.

The project also included the creation of recreation area as a new habitat for wildlife near the wetlands where the "shack" once stood. Motorists can park and walk around explore various trails in the area.

The $319 million price tag is $31 million below the original estimates. But the timeline of the project as a whole has been delayed, from an estimated completion date of 2020 to 2022.

While the bridge work was completed on time, more time was needed to complete work on the approaches in both Stafford and Ship Bottom.

In Ship Bottom, proposed improvements would help prevent flooding during storms, and two-way traffic will be restored along Central Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard. And in Stafford, the intersection between Route 72 and Marsha Drive will have “operational and safety” improvements, Schapiro said.

Making it easier to get to the bridge may have an even greater ripple effect on summertime Route 72 traffic than the bridge opening itself, Myhre said.

"There's always construction going on between the Garden State Parkway and the island," he said. "It'll be hard to fully assess all this until it's totally completed. That's when we'll get a true feel for it."

The Asbury Park Press and the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey has covered the LBI bridge project since before shovels were in teh ground. But that's just one of the many things we cover at the Jersey Shore. Consider a digital subscription so we can keep bringing you the local news that will affect your community.

Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering marijuana legalization, transportation and New Jersey local news. He's in a lifelong love-hate relationship with the New York Mets. Contact him at 732-643-4223, mdavis@gannettnj.com or @byMikeDavis on Twitter.