POULSBO — M#orning commuters along Lindvig Way got a dose of history in the making with their morning lattes Tuesday.

The first five girders, part of the road surface of what will become Poulsbo’s only bridge, were placed along the span June 10. In all, 10 88-foot girders will comprise the surface of the bridge, which will replace a 6.5-foot, nearly clogged culvert that currently connects Dogfish Creek with Liberty Bay. A bridge was historically located at the site from the early 1930s until the late 1960s.

The girder placement required Lindvig Way traffic to be further restricted to only one lane of travel between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday. Besides an initial back up at 9 a.m. Poulsbo Engineer Mike Lund said he was pleased with the traffic coordination.

“It went pretty smooth,” Lund commented. “It took some time to get the traffic cleared but once we got flaggers at both intersections, it went very well.”

The project elicited curious stares from a handful of community members who stopped by to see two cranes gingerly lift the 47-ton pieces into place. Motorists on the span during the project also got a good look at the process. City Engineer John Stephenson said though city and construction staff have spent long hours working on the project for nearly five weeks now, this was the first time the public could begin to see a payoff for their patience.

“I think now that people can drive by and see that surface, the delays will be worth it because they can see the progress,” Stephenson commented, adding with a chuckle, “I’m going to die the first time someone sprays graffiti on it. It looks so nice right now.”

Lund said the project is still on schedule. The southern half of the bridge surface is expected to be finished sometime around July 4, at which time the restricted lanes will be moved to the other side of the structure.