Orange cones and construction crews are already in place on the U.S. 281 bridge just north of the Great Bend city limits as the Kansas Department of Transportation begins to replace the span, a project that could take until next spring.Work has begun to replace the shoulders leading up the bridge from the north and south, said Berry McManaman, area engineer with the Great Bend KDOT office. “We are in the preparation stages now.”During construction, the bridge will be limited to one lane with traffic through the work zone. McManaman said this means vehicles may have to drive on the shoulder and the existing surface would not have withstood the increased use.Besides, he said, the new structure will be 44 feet wide whereas the current one is 24 feet wide.