Residents will have to wait a little longer than originally expected to see beams placed on the new Main Street Bridge in Niles.

Earlier this month, a lead engineer for the project said he expected workers to begin placing beams across the bridge in early August.

Now, the same engineer said it likely would not happen until the end of August because they are waiting for the beams to be delivered.

“The beams have actually been delayed a little bit,” said Chris Jacobs, engineer with the Michigan Department of Transportation. “Right now most of the fabrication plants are backed up… so that is probably the reason.”

The good news for those waiting for the bridge to reopen is that Jacobs doesn’t expect the delay in receiving the beams to push back the project itself.

He said he still expects the bridge to open to traffic by late November or early December.

“It is in everybody’s best interest to finish before the end of the year,” Jacobs said.

In the meantime, workers continue to drive pilings for the abutment on the west side of the river.

The abutment on the east side is finished and the bridge’s two piers are finished as well.

“We’ve probably got another two weeks of driving piles (on the west abutment) before we are done,” Jacobs said. “We’ve got about 34 more piles to go (as of Wednesday).”

Once the pilings are installed, Jacobs said workers would begin prepping for the pouring of the concrete abutment structure.

Work to replace the 90-year-old bridge, which spans the St. Joseph River, began in October.

The MDOT-led project is expected to cost the state approximately $10.6 million.