Rocky Lake Drive closed Tuesday and work is expected to last for six weeks (Phonse Jessome/CBC)

Upgrades on the Waverley Bridge are creating a 14-kilometre detour for daily commuters in the area.

Rocky Lake Drive in Bedford was closed Tuesday and work is expected to last for six weeks.

A fire truck crossed before the bridge closed so fire crews can respond on both sides while the new bridge is being built.

The first day of construction started with sound of diesel engines as an asphalt stripper cleared the way for crews to pull the old bridge down.

It is being replaced after failing a routine inspection last year.

Despite warning signs more than a few commuters found themselves running out of road on Tuesday.

"For the next six weeks I presume it's going to be horrible. This was my short cut to school so it's a no go and traffic seems to be pretty bad back on Magazine Hill so I guess for the time being I will find a way around," said commuter Jarred Tracey.

Parents taking kids to the nearby daycare chose to walk over the temporary pedestrian bridge instead of driving an extra 15 minutes through the detour.

The last of the guard rails comes off as workers prepare to remove the bridge deck (Phonse Jessome/CBC)

"Basically we have to get up a half hour early to bring the kids up to the daycare," said Richard Demmings.

"We live on the other side of the bridge, just over on the Waverly Road so the kids are having fun and we're enjoying the walk I guess."

Coun. Barry Dalrymple said the bridge should have been replaced earlier.

"We had tried to mitigate it every way we can. This project was supposed to be done in July or August. We had all kinds of delays getting the proper permits from [Department of] Environment and that delayed us two or three months."

He said the new bridge will be higher than the old one allowing people to canoe or kayak under it.

The bridge is scheduled to be ready by mid-October.