This winter put the cold freeze on many projects. Work came to a virtual halt on the Apponaug Circulator, and for weeks at a time nothing happened at the Mill Cove Bridge on Tidewater Drive.

That’s no excuse, however, in the books of David Picozzi or Ed Ladouceur for the bridge not to be open and operational in June as scheduled.

“We want it done on time. David is really pushing it,” said Ladouceur, the Ward 5 City Council representative who said he’s been getting calls from constituents that fear the project could get dragged out.

Picozzi, the city’s director of public works, as well as City Engineer Eric Earls, program manager Eric Hineinger and Ladouceur met with representatives of Cardi Construction Tuesday to get an update on the $1.2 million project. When Cardi started removal of the old bridge last September, they projected it would take nine months before the new one would be completed. Loss of the bridge has meant traffic that normally accessed the neighborhoods of Riverview and Longmeadow from Tidewater Drive and West Shore Road has had to take the roundabout route of Draper Avenue. RIPTA has also had to reconfigure the bus route serving the area.

Work on the bridge, built in 1928, was long overdue. Structurally it was failing, and although it was still open weight limitations were imposed about a decade ago. The city designed plans for a replacement bridge, but a new bridge wasn’t budgeted until the city gained low-cost financing through the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency.

Ladouceur said the Cardi representatives said cranes should be on site this week. Just two weeks ago, a National Grid crew de-energized the lines near the bridge to give a crane clear access to the area.

“The contractor said it is tight, but that it can be done on time,” Picozzi said yesterday. He said once the crane is on site, the remains of the existing bridge would be pulled out and drilling would start for the “sleeves” for the pilings of the new bridge.

“It should be full steam ahead from now on,” he said.

Asked whether the work might interfere with the annual run of herring in Buckeye Brook, Picozzi said the stream flow won’t be cut off at any time and that the Department of Environmental Management and Coastal Resources Management Council have issued permits for the work.

The bridge will contain a sleeve so that a sewer line can be installed when work begins on the Bay Side project. While construction is taking place on the bridge, Picozzi intends to rebuild that section of Tidewater Drive from West Shore Road to the bridge. This would include the installation of a sewer line for that stretch so that the road won’t have to get dug up at a later date.

From Ladouceur’s perspective, Cardi has no reason not to complete the bridge on schedule. He thinks Picozzi, whose city crews rebuilt Danger Bridge on Sea View Drive in Oakland Beach, is the best judge.

“Most important,” he said, “David, who is the expert of building bridges, knows it can be done.”