The state Department of Transportation is ahead of schedule and could open the fourth lane on Interstate 95 southbound across the Gold Star Bridge on Thursday morning, rather than Friday morning, project engineer Keith Schoppe said.

DOT has been working to set up by this weekend a new configuration on the bridge that will enable four travel lanes, rather than three, and the re-opening of the Bridge Street on-ramp.

Schoppe said Wednesday afternoon that the barrier has been shifted and the contractor is expected to complete the line striping Wednesday. As long as the contractor can finish the line striping, the fourth lane will open Thursday morning.

The Bridge Street on-ramp still is on schedule to reopen Friday morning, due to the need to turn on the traffic signals at the bottom of the ramp, he said.

The DOT is working on a rehabilitation project on the southbound side of the bridge.