The cost of a new bridge over Lake Champlain to reconnect towns in Vermont and New York has grown from a planned $69.6 million to at least $75 million, and neither government is taking any grief about it.

The bridge between Crown Point, N.Y., and Addison, Vt., opened last month. It replaced a bridge that had been closed because of structural deficiencies, and area residents had much longer drives to go around the lake.

The Burlington Free Press reported Sunday, "What started as a $69.6 million construction bid to build the bridge has become $75 million and is likely to reach $76 million, according to the New York State Department of Transportation."

Much of the change was to have contractors add barges, materials and crews to get the job done sooner, the paper said.