GRAND FORKS – After falling behind schedule earlier in the year, a project to renovate the Columbia Road overpass in Grand Forks is complete – weeks ahead of schedule.

News of the opening prompted a “collective cheer” at UND, according to the university’s director of communications.

“We are ecstatic, as you can imagine, on campus,” UND's David Dodds told the Grand Forks Herald. UND is “pleased as can be to have that access again.”

He added that the closure was “inconvenient for sure, but understandable.”

The bridge’s proximity to UND means it’s an oft-used thoroughfare, especially as students return to campus. The first day of class was Monday, Aug. 25. Both directions on the overpass were closed since spring, cutting off the vital north-south street that crosses railroad tracks in the

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