The authorities said that, the Bayonne Bridge is set to open to drivers by the next week. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said  that, the bridge connecting the Bayonne, New Jersey, to Staten Island, New York, will open on Monday after years of work to raise the deck.

Construction on the $1.3 billion project to allow bigger cargo ships to reach the New York City-area ports began in the year 2013. The roadway was raised to 215 feet above the Kill van Kull, 64 feet above the original deck.

The previous height limited the size of the vessels that could pass underneath on their way to the ports of the Newark and Elizabeth. The ships masts passed mere feet below the span.

The bridge will use a cashless toll system, using a combination of the EZ Pass and mailed tolls.

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A separate, project completed late last year deepened navigation channels in the New York harbor, at a cost of $2.1 billion, in anticipation of the larger ships.

The Port Authority initially hoped to accommodate larger ships in the year 2016, but the officials revised that estimate in 2015, citing construction delays related to the weather and structural problems with the bridge's steel.

The larger ships are expected to be able to pass under later in this year. The new roadway has wider lanes and a median it is the first Port Authority bridge to use cashless tolls.

By Mrudula Duddempudi.