Doug Stephens, a road inspector for Douglas County, moves a sign across the road near the bridge over the Kansas River at Lecompton. The bridge linking Lecompton and Perry is set to reopen today after a five-month deck replacement project.

Life gets a little easier after 3 p.m. today for residents of Lecompton and Perry.

That’s when the last barricade is supposed to come down and the Kansas River bridge at Lecompton reopens.

After five months, the two communities across the river from each other that share a school district will be reunited.

“We’re just thrilled that it will be reopened on time,” Perry-Lecompton school Superintendent Denis Yoder said. “There are just so many issues you have to deal with when you can’t get across the river to Lecompton.”

The project’s end is also a relief for Perry Mayor Mike Lang.

“It will be very welcome to people on both sides of the river. I’ll be driving home across it,” said Lang, who works in Lawrence.

The bridge has been closed since March for replacement of the concrete bridge deck and some structural steel. A year ago the Douglas County Commission made the controversial decision to close the bridge during the construction instead of leaving one lane open as requested by Perry and Lecompton residents.

The Jefferson County Commission initially opposed the closing but last winter changed its stance and agreed to help pay for part of the $2.5 million project. Under an agreement, Douglas County is paying 89 percent of the cost.

The county commissioners wanted the bridge completed by Aug. 10 so it would not interfere with the opening of the Perry-Lecompton school district. Classes in the district start a week from today.

In the spring extra shuttle buses had to be used to transport students across the river over long detours. The district had to deal with about $1,100 in added travel costs per day, Yoder said.

“We had a plan we could have put in place if the bridge didn’t open, but we’re glad that won’t be necessary,” Yoder said.

Businesses on both sides of the river were hurt when their customers were cut off. Kroeger’s Country Meats in Lecompton also lost deliveries from several vendors, owners said.

“We spent the hours we were not open getting things that the vendors stopped delivering,” said Linda Kroeger, who owns and operates the store with her husband, Gary, and daughter Robin Koffman.

But the Kroegers said the community rallied around their business and helped them persevere. Construction workers often ate lunch there, they said.

On Aug. 17 a community celebration will take place with an evening ceremony on the bridge and other activities afterward at the Lecompton ballpark. As a show of appreciation to the community, the Kroegers are donating hot dogs to the Perry-Lecompton High School junior class to cook at the celebration and make available for free-will donations. The students are planning the event and all proceeds go to the junior class prom fund.

“We want to show our appreciation and thank everybody for supporting us,” Linda Kroeger said.

After the bridge is reopened there will still be some cleanup work to do, said Terese Gorman, Douglas County engineering division manager.