If you find yourself waiting in traffic near the Mississippi River Bridge soon, don’t worry.

Take a deep breath and realize the temporary inconvenience is for the safety of all.

Barriers went up Tuesday marking the official beginning to full closure of the westbound Mississippi River Bridge leading into Vidalia.

Almost simultaneously with the closure of the bridge, we could hear the collective sigh of frustration — and maybe a bit of griping — from motorists who have become accustomed to the convenience and efficiency of having two bridges providing quick access to and from each side of the river.

The work being done to the old span is needed to allow the bridge to safely operate for many, many years to come.

The critical structures being replaced are vital to allowing the bridge to flex safely without crumbling into the river below.

Construction crews are working fast to do the work, but it’s going to take a while. The construction contract allows up to a year of closure before financial penalties kick in.

Their work is dangerous and must be precise for the rest of us to be safe in the future.

Our jobs in this project are to be patient, plan for a little more time to get to where we’re going and realize a year will fly by and the bridge will be like new again soon.