OXFORD – The Village of Oxford will begin replacement of its Main Street bridge on Nov. 17, with the project expected to be finished by the fall of 2012. During that time, the downtown bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic.

Village Mayor Terry Stark has asked residents of Oxford to plan ahead and adapt their driving patterns accordingly.

“We spent a lot of time planning this out and fully expected a 30-60 day notice,” said Stark. “But the contract was awarded in September, so we didn’t have much chance to adapt.”

According to Stark, the south sidewalk of the bridge will remain open to pedestrians while a separate pedestrian bridge is erected to the north. The temporary pedestrian bridge is expected to be completed by mid-December.

Because the Main Street bridge is the only connection between the east and west sections of the village, drivers will have to consider a 7-minute delay in traveling north to Rt. 220, which connects Rt. 12 and 32.