The Hood Canal Bridge could reopen as early as tonight, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said.

The refurbished drawbridge still needs to pass a final test of opening and closing 20 consecutive times without a glitch, spokeswoman Becky Hixson said.

The testing began about 2 p.m. today and was expected to take eight to 10 hours, she said.

Even if crews have 19 successful tests and then the draw span doesn’t work, they must start over at zero, Hixson said.

While the bridge has been closed, drivers have had to rely on special ferries and long alternative land routes.

The Edmonds-to-Port Townsend car ferry will end after tonight’s run. Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead by visiting www.HoodCanalBridge.com or by calling 1-877-595-4222.

The Hood Canal floating bridge, the major route between the northern Olympic Peninsula and the rest of the state, closed May 1 for what was expected to be a six-week renovation.

The $500 million project replaced pontoons on the older, eastern half of the Highway 104 bridge that opened in 1961. The west side of the bridge was replaced after it sank in a 1979 windstorm. It reopened in 1982.

When completed, the new east section will have wider lanes and safety shoulders for the 20,000 vehicles that cross the bridge each day. The 8,869-foot bridge connects the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas.

Progress reports will be posted every two hours on the Hood Canal Bridge blog and the latest project photos are available at Flickr.

The Hood Canal Bridge reopening is scheduled to be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday with a ribbon-cutting at Salsbury Point County Park in Kitsap County, and from noon to 8 p.m. in a Bridge Opening Bash in Port Townsend.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.