Historic CN swing bridge reopens to vehicles.

A direct link between the City of Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation is being reopened to vehicle traffic after six years.

After a lengthy legal battle between the city and CN Rail, the railroader has completed repairs to the historic James Street Bridge, which was damaged by fire in October 2013 in an act of vandalism.

The CN-owned span across the Kam River was expected to reopen Nov. 9.

Within days of the 2013 fire, the dual-use span was reopened to freight trains but barricaded to vehicles.

Traffic between the two communities was rerouted onto a provincial highway, causing a concern in the First Nation over ease of access, traffic accidents, and the longer response time for emergency responders.

The City of Thunder Bay sued the rail carrier...