"It's going to be like a blessing when this think opens up," says Pat Cunningham, who has lived in the nearby Forest River Subdivision for almost 30 years.

He says traffic in and out of his neighborhood has been a nightmare the past two years while construction has been underway.

One lane in each direction on the bridge will be open by midnight as well as both exit ramps off of the highway.  The entrance ramp onto SR 316 westbound will open Monday morning.

Construction on the new bridge, which is just feet from the entrance to Georgia Gwinnett College, began in 2012.  A new bridge on SR 20 opened to traffic last month as part of the overall $37.4 million project.

The bridge at Collins Hill wasn’t expected to open until the fall, but the Georgia DOT says good weather has pushed the project along at a rapid pace.

It can’t come soon enough for students at GGC.

“It’s going to relieve that traffic that gets right up here in front of the school,” says Akini Cain, an upcoming senior at the college.

The final ramp heading eastbound onto SR 316 won’t be ready until July 20 because it still has to be built.  Once it opens, both lanes across the bridge will be open to traffic.