The newly raised Bayonne Bridge is back in business.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the bridge connecting Bayonne, New Jersey, to Staten Island, New York, opened for vehicles at 5 a.m. Monday after years of work to raise the deck.

Construction on the $1.3 billion project to allow bigger cargo ships to reach New York City-area ports began in 2013. The roadway was raised to 215 feet above the Kill van Kull, 64 feet above the original deck.

The previous height limited the size of vessels that could pass underneath on their way to the ports of Newark and Elizabeth. Ships’ masts passed mere feet below the span.

The bridge will use a cashless toll system, using a combination of EZ Pass and mailed tolls.

(AP)