Work is scheduled to begin Monday on a $3.9 million project to replace the James E. Widener Memorial Bridge in the town of Chili, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez announced Sunday.

Officials say the bridge, originally built in 1931, was dedicated in honor of Private First Class Widener in 2007. While serving in the U.S. Marines in South Vietnam at age 18 in 1967, Widener was declared missing in action when his helicopter was shot down and crashed. His remains were positively identified nearly 40 years later and he was interned at Arlington National Cemetery.

“Brother Jim's youth and life were sacrificed for hundreds of community friends and Americans," James's brother Peter Widener said in a statement. "His influence and inspiration to others have now been rewarded back to Jim. Dedications and memorials help us and our citizens remember who we are as Americans. My sister Julie and I thank all for their patriotic love and I say to my community, SEMPER FI, as I did when we buried Jim at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.”

Officials say an integral abutment bridge will be replaced that aims to eliminate the need for bridge joints. Five-foot-wide shoulders will be constructed to accommodate multi-modal traffic and a wildlife bench will be installed beneath the structure so that animals can safely travel underneath.

“Memorializing and honoring our nation’s veterans for their service and sacrifice in defense of our freedoms is a core value of our Governor and our agency,” Dominguez said in a statement. “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are able to provide the Chili community with a new structure that will provide continued connectivity for residents while ensuring we remember and honor James E. Widener’s commitment to our country, and the entire Widener family’s contributions to the Town of Chili.”

The bridge will remain closed until the project is completed. A detour has been posted.

The project is slated to be completed by the fall and new signage will be installed, with the bridge continuing to be named after Widener.