You乌鸦传媒檇 think it was a rock concert.

Around noon, over 500 people anxiously waited for the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria to officially open.

Members of the crowd had to be reminded to stand back, as they weaved around each other, straining their necks to capture a glimpse of the new bridge.

Construction on the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the city began in May 2013.

The new bridge will support 30,000 crossings a day including vehicles, local transit, pedestrians, and cyclists.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e been waiting ten years for this, so another ten minutes won乌鸦传媒檛 kill us,乌鸦传媒� said Amanda Shultz, who waited patiently among the crowd.

Food trucks, coffee stands, musicians and vintage cars lined the streets to entertain the revelers as they waited.

乌鸦传媒淚 think it乌鸦传媒檚 fantastic, a long time coming,乌鸦传媒� said Harold Sleunwhite who has lived in Victoria for 36 years.

乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 come downtown often but when I do it乌鸦传媒檚 always this route. It will definitely help rush hour traffic.乌鸦传媒�

Sleunwhite offered a unique suggestion for what to do with the old Blue Bridge乌鸦传媒攅ven though it has new, offshore owners. He said, 乌鸦传媒淚f they were to cut some pieces out of it and give it to a sculpture to make something decent, it would stand as a memory for a lifetime.乌鸦传媒�

Mayor Lisa Helps officiated the opening and thanked the long list of people involved乌鸦传媒攆rom the project manager to the builders.

Mayor Helps specifically thanked the Songhees nation elders who blessed the bridge, adding, 乌鸦传媒淚 wonder and worry about all the other bridges that haven乌鸦传媒檛 been blessed.乌鸦传媒�

People cheered and clapped during the 90 seconds it took for the bridge to be lowered. Then, as a community, the crowd walked over the bridge, taking photos and marveling at the structure.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 100 years looking into the future and it乌鸦传媒檚 a really exciting day. This marks not only the completion of the bridge but Victoria乌鸦传媒檚 future,乌鸦传媒� Mayor Helps told Victoria News.

乌鸦传媒淭his bridge project got off to a bit of a rocky start and we brought it back under control. What we see now is a different way of doing current projects 乌鸦传媒� like the fire hall and Crystal Pool乌鸦传媒� So it乌鸦传媒檚 a lesson learned and going forward we乌鸦传媒檙e taking a different approach to those projects which I think will fare very well.乌鸦传媒�

Jeremy Loveday was excited to see this project finally come to fruition. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a new chapter in the City乌鸦传媒檚 future. Say goodbye to the old Blue Bridge and the memories it holds, and say hello to this next chapter,乌鸦传媒� he told Victoria News.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 glad the local First Nations have played a role in opening this bridge and they have blessed it, and I look forward to moving forward with them in a good way.乌鸦传媒�

The public seemed very pleased with the outcome of the project 乌鸦传媒� over 100 million dollars and 10 years in the making.

As a group of tourists, unaware of the event乌鸦传媒檚 significance, headed down the side pathway of the structure, a local man excitedly corrected them, 乌鸦传媒淐乌鸦传媒檓on, man, don乌鸦传媒檛 you know there乌鸦传媒檚 a new bridge?乌鸦传媒�.

The community celebration will continue until 5 p.m. At 9 p.m. the bridge is expected to open to traffic.

Read our five-part series on the project, 乌鸦传媒楤ridging the Gap乌鸦传媒�, by Tim Collins starting

anna.james@vicnews.com