The newly-refurbished Osborne Street bridge was officially reopened to traffic on Friday, even though drivers have been using it for a couple of days now.

The bridge, linking downtown and Osborne Village, was given the formal treatment from Premier Greg Selinger, Mayor Sam Katz and other dignitaries.

The $16.8-million refurbishment, which started in April 2011, has widened the bridge deck and sidewalks, added hand rails and metal panels with iconic images and phrases cut into the metal, and a bike lane.

There are some concerns, though, about the southbound bike lane, which suddenly ends. Riders are forced to merge back into traffic.

The lane also ends on the northbound side but the merge isn't as drastic.

Cyclist Josh Markham said it's tricky, but normal when riding in Winnipeg.

"Every major bike route in the city ends suddenly and then disappears into nothing," he said.

Project manager Darren Burmey said there were property-related factors that made it difficult to widen Osborne past each side of the bridge for bike lanes.

It would have had to purchase property from Shell, which owns the service station at the foot of the bridge on the southbound side.

On the northbound side, they would have had to cut down several mature trees on the Legislative grounds.

Burmey said the city might consider installing signs to warn cyclists and drivers of the merger on both ends of the bridge but that decision would have to be made by the trafffic department.

The original Osborne bridge was built in 1882 and reconstructed in 1977. The latest refurbishment project is expected to extend the service life of the structure by 75 years.

“The Osborne Bridge is one of Manitoba’s busiest routes for vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian traffic. Whether you’re in a car, on a bike or walking, the new, wider Osborne Bridge will get you where you’re going more safely and efficiently,” said Selinger.

It's the second bridge opening in a week. The $195-million Disraeli Overpass opened last Friday after two years of construction.