They warned it would be bad.

Drivers say it wasn't bad, it was terrible.

The shutdown of Karsten Thot Bridge, just north of Wahiawa, created a major traffic mess on Monday.

At Tamura's in Wahiawa, it took Delilah Sallas an extra 45 minutes to get to work this morning, and she was one of the luckier ones.

“It took me almost three hours to get to work,” said Vicky Isobe.

It was easy going in Wahiawa, where Nina Valdez walked her son to school, but not for her husband, who had to drive their daughter to Whitmore Village, and then get to work.

“He timed it. It took about 2 1/2 hours,” she said.

Crews started a six-week, 24-7 renovation project Monday morning, to remove rust, reinforce steel plates, and repaint the 80-year-old Karsten Thot Bridge, just north of Wahiawa.

Because of that, not just workers, but students showed up late this morning; up to an hour and a half late at Leilehua High School.

On Friday, Wahiawa Middle School Principal Gale Yamaguchi sent letters to parents warning them of the inevitable delays and making backup calls to parents the following Sunday.