NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) — After months of closures and detours, work is officially underway to bring the Blackiston Mill Bridge back into service, and officials said it could reopen by the end of summer.
More than 20,000 drivers used the bridge each day before it abruptly shut down earlier this year. Among them is Tonja Aaron-Wells, a local realtor who said the closure has caused significant disruptions.
“I work in southern Indiana, and it has been a major inconvenience,” Aaron-Wells said. “I have doctors over here. I have clients over here. You have to go around one way or the other to get in this area.”
The problem began in February, when the Blackiston Mill dam failed. The sudden change in water flow chewed away part of the embankment and eventually collapsed a portion of the roadway, leaving a massive hole and forcing the bridge to close.
On Monday, with little fanfare, demolition equipment began removing the damaged dam, a crucial step before any repairs can begin on the bridge itself.
But rather than haul the debris away, engineers are using the broken concrete and stone to rebuild the eroded embankments.
“I want to point out something that's very important to this process — and I think kind of ingenious,” Floyd County Commissioner Al Knable said. “We’re repurposing the debris from the dam to help rebuild that bank. So that doesn’t have to be hauled in.”
Crews expect the dam removal to take about five days, weather permitting.
The cost of the dam's demolition is $200,000, with 75% covered by the River Heritage Conservancy, the group behind Origin Park. That group has also been involved in another high-profile project: the contested removal of the Providence Mill dam in New Albany, which is tied up in legal proceedings with the city over ownership rights.
“We’re restoring Silver Creek’s water flow, as nature intended it,” Knable said of the effort. "If you can imagine making a phone call to somebody asking them for money to build something, that's a difficult call for us having to call and get somebody to give money privately to bring something down just shows you their commitment to removing the hazard that are these, low head dams."
As for the Blackiston Mill Bridge, engineers said on Monday the main support structure is still in good shape, but the surface of the bridge remains a safety concern, with steel plates currently covering holes.
“Would we open it tomorrow if we could? Not without those inspections,” Knable said. “And if they get in there and find something that’s just not going to be compatible with safe travel, it might be a deal breaker. But we’ve been told not to anticipate that.”
Once the dam removal is finished, crews expect another three to six weeks of inspections, repairs, and repaving to the Blackiston Mill Bridge.
If all goes according to plan, the bridge could reopen before summer ends, finally bringing relief to thousands of southern Indiana drivers.
Previous Coverage:
Blackiston Mill Bridge could reopen to traffic this summer, but 2 permits stand in the way
Floyd County leaders file application with state to remove Blackiston Mill Dam
Legal battles, safety concerns fuel controversy over low head dams in southern Indiana
Floyd County leaders vote to remove failed Blackiston Mill Dam, but future of bridge uncertain
Blackiston Mill Road Bridge remains closed with no reopening date set
No timeline available for reopening of Blackiston Mill Road Bridge after dam failure
Blackiston Mill Road Bridge over Silver Creek in New Albany closed due to dam failure
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