RALEIGH, N.C. — State Department of Transportation crews started rebuilding the Hillsborough Street bridge at Glenwood Avenue in December 2001, and now almost two years later, they said they are almost complete.

DOT officials said the bridge will be ready for the Raleigh Christmas parade on Nov. 22. That news is no solace to some businesses that have to deal with the ongoing project.

"Well, it's hurt us because obviously there's no traffic flow going by like there used to be," store manager Lance Bush said.

In 1930, crews built the Empire State Building in New York in 13 months. The Hillsborough Street Bridge has already taken 22 months.

"We do things a whole lot different now then we did years and years ago. There's a lot more to consider," engineer Jon Nance said.

Nance said the Empire State Building comparison really is not fair.

"This particular bridge was actually connected to a historic property and we literally had to chip the old bridge away from the building to prevent damage to it," he said.

Nance also said train traffic slowed much of the early bridge work.