Nearly a year of inconvenience for commuters traveling to Middletown, Nether Providence and Upper Providence townships ended Monday when the Manchester Avenue Bridge opened ahead of schedule.

The 100-year-old bridge connects the three towns , but it runs over Ridley Creek and was subject to flooding during storms, writes Justin Udo for KYW Newsradio.

The reopened bridge includes several upgrades.

“A lot of the features that we are putting in is to manage flood mitigation and stormwater management,” said Danielle Floyd, Delaware County director of public works.

The $2.2 million bridge infrastructure improvements will also help local first responders with quicker response times.

The bridge reopened seven months ahead of schedule, as part of a bigger infrastructure revitalization program in Delaware County.

The bridge stands at a unique crossroads.

“We get a lot of calls asking, is Manchester Road in Nether Providence, is it in Upper Providence, is it in Rose Valley, is it Middletown?” said Nether Providence Township Manager Dave Grady. “And the answer is yes, yes it is. But I think that goes to show how vitally important this bridge is and this location is.”

Read more about the Manchester Avenue Bridge and its vital link to 3 towns at KYW Newsradio.