After seven weeks of repairs to a fractured beam, the Pennsylvania-New Jersey, connecting bridge has been reopened in time for the Friday morning rush hour.

The reopening of the 1.3-mile-long Interstate 276 Bridge on late Thursday was ahead of schedule. A week ago state officials estimated that it would take a month to re-open.

Chief engineer of Pennsylvania Turnpike Brad Heigel said, "Given the number of experts who have inspected, tested and studied it over the last 49 days, it's safe to say this bridge is perhaps the most scrutinized structure in the nation and maybe the world.”

The bridge has been closed since a painting crew discovered a 14-inch steel truss under a westbound travel lane on the Pennsylvania side. The section of interstate carries 42,000 vehicles a day.

This week, workers conducted a series of load of tests to study the effectiveness of their repairs. 40 tons of eight dump cracks were driven across the bridge, while sensors detected the structure’s reaction. The test results showed that the repaired bridge can support the weight of traffic.

Officials said the main reason behind the fracture were two improperly drilled holes, each approximately 1 inch in diameter and filled with weld material. But officials agreed it was not only the reason as no other such weld-filled holes were found.

Getting a definite answer as to why the fracture occurred is akin to solving a 60-year-old mystery perpetuated by unseen offenders, Heigel said. He said that we may never know for sure what all reasons that caused the fracture.

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