Many residents in Holbrook say a bridge project is taking much longer than expected and creating a traffic disaster in the area.

The roadwork on the northbound lanes of the Patchogue-Holbrook Road Bridge over the Long Island Expressway began in September 2014. It was slated to be completed in May 2016, but the new target date is March 28, 2017.

The $9.6 million rehabilitation project was meant to reinforce the structural integrity of the bridge, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The northbound lanes on the bridge are expected to remain closed until the spring.

Joan O'Connell, of Holbrook, says residents are fed up with constant detours that have caused students to be late for school and has snarled traffic during rush hours.

"They need to get it done," she says. "It should have been done already."

There were no crews working on the bridge when News 12 was on the scene Friday afternoon.