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A new bridge that will carry motorists north on Georgia Avenue over the Intercounty Connector in Olney opened Friday afternoon, state highway officials reported.

"There was no backup and things went very smoothly," said Fran Counihan, a spokeswoman for the Intercounty Connector project.

The shift diverts northbound traffic to the new bridge, while southbound traffic remains in the existing lanes of Georgia Avenue. The new bridge is located between Norbeck Road and Emory Lane.

Traffic using the Intercounty Connector will flow under the bridge when the 18-mile cross-county toll road opens. The first segment of the highway, from Interstate 370 in Gaithersburg to Georgia Avenue in Olney, is expected to open next year.

Traffic was supposed to begin using the Georgia Avenue bridge in mid-November but the opening was pushed back because of weather-related issues, Counihan said.

Southbound traffic was scheduled to be shifted onto the bridge earlier this month, but has also been delayed due to the weather. Counihan said she does not know when that change will occur.

Road projects associated with the ICC along Shady Grove Road in Derwood are also experiencing delays because of recent bouts of bad weather, Counihan said.

A new ramp that will change how motorists access Interstate 370 from Shady Grove Road was initially scheduled to open Nov. 21, but highway officials are hoping to have it open at some point next month, Counihan said.