Groton — Traffic was backed up for miles on Interstate 95 south on Friday as the state Department of Transportation prepared the Gold Star Memorial Bridge for a new traffic pattern.

DOT project engineer Keith Schoppe said Friday evening that he expected to have three lanes of traffic open before the snow starts, which he said was forecast for about 4 a.m.

He said Friday evening that crews still were painting lines on Bridge Street and needed to relocate a few more concrete barriers.

The Bridge Street ramp was closed on Friday afternoon, and Schoppe said it would reopen as soon as the third lane reopened.

Police still will be on site into Saturday, he said.

The DOT, which has been performing repairs on the bridge since April, is working to move traffic from the right side of the bridge to the left.

The backup on Friday spanned from the bridge to Exit 88 — a length of more than three miles. Those traveling through the area saw significant delays.