A new bridge on 109th Avenue between Colorado and Arizona streets is on schedule for the road to reopen at the end of October, said an engineer with the county's highway department.

"We're within a week of the projected schedule," said Duane Alverson, a Lake County Highway engineer.

The bridge, also known as Lake County bridge 91, was scheduled for replacement this year, and while Alverson said it wasn't unsafe, it was time for the bridge to be replaced because it was narrow by today's standards.

Gary-based Ellas Construction was awarded the $1.4 million contract and has removed the old bridge that was 37 feet long and about 27 feet wide and is replacing it with a new bridge that will be 73 feet long and 46 feet wide. The new bridge will have two 12-foot driving lanes with two 8-foot shoulders. The bridge approaches also are being reconstructed and the intersection of 109th Avenue and Colorado Street will be redone, Alverson said.

Alverson said the larger bridge is required because the permitting process for new bridges has engineers run a hydraulic study so the bridge will be prepared for a 100-year storm, and the results of that study dictate the size of the bridge.

"It's a typical bridge replacement," he said. "We'll open it up as soon as possible."