Poor weather conditions and delays in the sale of rail tracks mean the Margaret Avenue bridge may not be rebuilt as soon as previously hoped.

“We had a colder winter than expected, and that slowed things down a little bit – but they’re geared up and working away at it,” Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said Thursday.

The bridge was closed in June 2013 due to fears a defect in its design could cause a sudden collapse.

It has since been demolished.

The new, $6-million bridge was previously expected to be open by August.

Now, city officials say, it may be into the fall before traffic and pedestrians can use the span.

“We’re probably looking closer to the end of September,” said Chris Spere, Kitchener’s manager of engineering.

In addition to weather, delays were caused by a hold-up in the deal to sell the rail tracks under the bridge from CN Rail to Metrolinx for $76 million.

That deal was completed last September.

Crews may work longer days as well as weekends to try and limit and delays, Spere said.