VENICE—The city of Venice has canceled the official opening of Santiago Calatrava's much-derided new bridge, reports the Guardian.

The structure over the Grand Canal, which has been "decried as unnecessary, unsafe, unsuited to disabled people and, above all, too contemporary," according to the Guardian, was to have been inaugurated on September 18. But the local councillor responsible for public works, Mara Rumiz, told the Corriere della Sera newspaper that government approval had yet to be granted for modifications to make the bridge more usable for people with disabilities.

At a meeting on Monday, Rumiz and Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari agreed to simply open the structure, already pedestrian-ready, without ceremony.

Opponents of the project were planning to demonstrate at the opening, which likely would have occasioned a renewed firestorm of media criticism. The project has met constant opposition for cost overruns, delays, and the Spanish architect's design; the 94-meter steel-and-glass structure is four years behind schedule and, according to some reports, 300 percent over budget.

One local bar owner was pleased to hear of the cancellation, saying it would have given "too much importance to this architect, who has already done a lot of damage."