MANCHESTER, N.H.- Public Works Officials say rust and cracks in the paint on the truss discovered during an inspection led to the city officials temporarily closing the Queen City Bridge.

According to a memo sent to the Mayor and Alderman late Friday the decision was made in order to allow inspections the chance to further determine if the bridge was safe for traffic.

As Deputy Public Works Director Owen Friend-Gray noted in the memo that inspectors found the areas of concern and then made the call out of an abundance of caution. Going forward officials say they plan to take measures to further clean and repaint the joints to minimize the potential for this issue to propagate in the future.

Following the reopening of the bridge Mayor Jay Ruais thanked the community for their patience and state official for their help in the matter.

“I want to recognize the hard work of our Department of Public Works, our partners at NH DOT and Governor Ayotte. Their dedication to thoroughly evaluating the bridge and ensuring the safety of our city’s infrastructure and the traveling public is greatly appreciated. The city also appreciates the cooperation and patience of motorists who were impacted by the closure and detours.“