Drivers who got anywhere near the South Grand Island Bridges on Friday morning paid for it with lost time, idling engines and plenty of stress.

Because of several problems encountered by a state contractor, the northbound span between the Town of Tonawanda and Grand Island reopened nearly six hours behind schedule, leaving commuters stuck in a morning rush hour traffic jam.

The northbound bridge is closed overnight as part of a $48.2 million resurfacing project.

Its reopening, scheduled for 6 a.m. each day, was pushed back Friday to 11:48 a.m.

Josh Little, a freshman international relations major at Canisius College, got stuck in what he described as bumper-to-bumper gridlock.

"Not only was the traffic horrendous, but all the entrances to the bridge were like completely closed," he said. "I ended up missing my morning classes because I couldn't get to school in time. Traffic was insane."

Thomas Hurley, assistant division director for the state Thruway Authority in Buffalo, cited several reasons for the delay.

First, he said, work was being done on the northbound span's arch, including the spot where it passes through the bridge's deck.

That is the "most difficult area" of the bridge on which to work because of limited clearance, he said.

The contractor also "wound up finding areas of structured steel that needed repairs," while a number of adjustments needed to be made to the deck panels.

Hurley also pointed to the colder temperatures, which led to longer times needed for the concrete to set, as well as the breakdown of a crane during the work.

"Every day we expect [the bridge] to open by 6 a.m.," he said. "If there are delays, we try to minimize those."

American Bridge Co., of Coraopolis, Pa., was hit with the maximum daily fine -- $125,000 -- for a late opening, Hurley said.

The firm is fined $500 per minute for the first 30 minutes the bridge is closed past 6 a.m. After that, the fine is $1,000 per minute.

The daily maximum fine of $125,000 was accrued by 8:20 a.m.

American Bridge was fined the maximum amount April 28, when the bridge was closed for 10 hours past the deadline. On May 12, the bridge was closed until 7:15 a.m., or 75 minutes past deadline.

The total amount of delays and fines to date for the bridge project was not available Friday.

The deck replacement work will take another five days of overnight closures. Once done, two-way traffic on the companion bridge could end, Hurley said.

But several other tasks need to be done before the project is completed.

First, a concrete and polyester seal will be applied to the driving surface. The contractor has asked the Thruway Authority if it can perform the sealing work by keeping the northbound bridge closed over a weekend, something the authority has preferred to avoid.

The work could be done in two days if the bridge were kept closed to traffic during the day. But if the work is done by closing the bridge overnight, that task could take two weeks, the authority has been told by the contractor.

The authority expects to make a decision early next week on whether the sealing work will be done overnight or during a daytime closure, Hurley said.

Remaining bridge work will include sidewalk construction, painting, the installation of utility conduits and railings.

The project is scheduled to continue to November.