The rebuilt Lyttonsville Place Bridge between Lyttonsville and Brookville roads has been opened by the Purple Line Transit Partners.

For the time being, the span will carry one lane of traffic in each direction, along with an area for pedestrians.

Later this year, PLTP crews will complete the bridge to include sidewalks, drop-off lanes and access to the planned Lyttonsville Station and Capital Crescent Trail.

A temporary connection at Stewart Lane, opened to accommodate traffic, was scheduled to be closed at noon today.

In addition, the Ride On Route 2, which used the bridge, had previously been split into Route 2A and Route 2B during construction. The normal Route 2 will be reinstated on Friday, Jan. 11.

Drivers can expect to see temporary lane closures over the next two weeks as crews mark pavement on Brookville Road near the bridge between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

In the meantime, the county has reopened the Talbot Avenue Bridge over the CSX tracks to pedestrians. The bridge had been closed last month after crews found a damaged beam, which has been repaired.

Community members celebrated the centennial of the bridge last fall. It is slated for demolition and replacement to make way for the Purple Line. Plans call for a portion of the original bridge to be preserved along the Capital Crescent Trail.

The Lyttonsville Place Bridge is now open to traffic while crews finish construction. Photo by Mike Diegel.