BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. (WDRB) — After six months of detours and traffic delays, the Bells Mill Bridge in Bullitt County reopened ahead of schedule, bringing relief to thousands of drivers and emergency responders who relied on the route.
The bridge, which spans Floyds Fork and connects Preston Highway to Kentucky Highway 44, had been closed since November 2025 as part of a $2.5 million improvement project.
The route serves more than 10,000 drivers daily and had become an important shortcut for commuters traveling through the area.
“It’s been quite interesting,” said Chad Barker, captain at Mt. Washington Fire Department Station 3. “We’ve had an influx of traffic both ways, mostly in the mornings and in the evenings.”
The closure created challenges for emergency crews, forcing them to navigate detours while responding to calls.
“We’ve experienced several more car wrecks, extractions and injury accidents and things like that,” Barker said.
To help maintain response times during the closure, Mt. Washington Fire Department staffed Station 3 around the clock for mutual aid calls.
Now that the bridge is back open, Barker said the department plans to continue staffing the station 24 hours a day.
Residents and business owners near the bridge also felt the impact of the closure.
Todd Smith, who owns Roof Runners and lives and works near Bells Mill Bridge, said the detours affected traffic patterns and made access difficult.
“The driveway access — trying to come and go, oh my gosh,” Smith laughed.
Smith said he was happy to see the project finished and praised crews who continued working through poor weather conditions.
The project was designed to strengthen the bridge and improve infrastructure to support Bullitt County’s growing population.
Construction was originally scheduled to wrap up Friday, but crews completed the work early despite weather-related challenges.
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