Structural investigation works on the Tay Road Bridge finished on Friday night — two days earlier than planned.
The completion of the works was confirmed just after 10pm on Friday, with a spokesperson thanking bridge users for their patience over the last five days.
All restrictions have since been removed from the bridge.
The work got under way early on Monday September 13 and was supposed to finish on Sunday.
Works finished early
On Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson confirmed on Twitter that the works were going to plan.
They said: “We are confident that all restrictions will be removed by the early hours of Monday.
“We will update the public tomorrow with our anticipated finish time.”
However, the works were confirmed as finished the next night.
Bridge restrictions removed
Restrictions included a contraflow system where only one lane of traffic was running at a time.
A temporary speed restriction of 30mph was also put in place and no loads over 2.6 metres were permitted on the bridge.
These restrictions led to long delays for both Fife and Tayside road users during rush hours.
The delays reportedly added up to 20 minutes onto journeys across the River Tay, with drivers claiming the road was often at a complete standstill.
Good news! The structural investigation works are now complete, two days early. All bridge restrictions have been removed. Thanks to all users for their patience while we carried out these essential works.
— Tay Road Bridge (@tay_road_bridge) September 17, 2021
Motorists using the bridge on Monday took to social media to report traffic problems on the Fife side.
One posted on Twitter: “There’s slow and there’s slow. Complete standstill on carriageway.”
Public transport was also affected by the Tay Road Bridge works, with Stagecoach warning its passengers that services would run later than expected.