The bridge over Mill Creek on Wall Triana is now open to traffic. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Madison school buses have resumed using the Mill Creek bridge on Wall Triana.

The bridge re-opening will improve safety for Madison school buses and reduce a few minutes off routes redirected by the construction, school officials said.

Bus drivers will inform students if pickup times will be a few minutes later because of the bridge re-opening, Bobby Jackson, transportation director for Madison City Schools, said.

Wall Triana is a main artery between the school district’s transportation depot and several Madison schools, and the detour has affected 43 of the district’s 63 routes.

The section of Wall Triana had been closed since June for construction work on the bridge. Re-design of a retaining wall delayed the original completion date from September to Nov. 14.

“The detour was a small inconvenience for making a treacherous bridge safer for the motorists and school buses that use that route. We are grateful to Mayor Troy Trulock and the City Council for making the project a priority,” Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler said.

Jackson said the detour added about a mile, along with five to seven minutes, twice each school day since the first day of school on Aug. 5.