EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) – The Martin Luther King Bridge connecting East St. Louis to St. Louis is set to reopen after being closed for construction.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the bridge crossing the Mississippi River is scheduled to reopen to traffic the week of Dec. 21. The bridge has been closed since July 20 for a $15.9 million reconstruction project, which includes removal of its deck, steel structural repairs and painting.

The bridge was set to tentatively close from July 6 through Nov. 24, with the timeline contingent on all westbound lanes of the Poplar Street Bridge being reopened. But that was delayed by rainy weather.

The Martin Luther King Bridge was used by nearly 27,000 drivers daily.