SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) — Crews have started to slowly tear down a bridge that carried millions of vehicles over the Yadkin River.

Workers are removing the surface of the old Interstate 85 bridge over the Yadkin River between Charlotte and Greensboro after crews finished work on a pair of new bridges over the river. They expect to completely remove the bridge by April.

The old bridge was built in 1955 and had four lanes for all traffic and no shoulders. The new bridges have four lanes for traffic in each direction and shoulders so broken down vehicles don't block a travel lane.

Only two lanes are currently open on the bridge, but once I-85 is widened to four lanes in each direction in the spring, all lanes on the bridges will be opened too.