CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Blackiston Mill Road Bridge opened a day early after emergency repairs, but officials say a new bridge is in the works.
The busy access bridge used by drivers to get between New Albany and Clarksville reopened Thursday after it was closed to traffic completely for emergency repairs earlier this week. Officials said the front of the pier had blocks that have moved and eroded over time. That's why they've been planning to build a new one for several years.
"The nose of the pier and some of the block has been dislocated creating some cracks," said Horachio Urieta, an engineer who works with Floyd County.
The bridge over Silver Creek is owned and maintained by Floyd County. Urieta said a contractor was able to complete emergency repairs early, at a cost of about $55,000.
The price tag for the new bridge has been estimated at $5 million. In previous reporting, Floyd County Director of Operations Don Lopp said a new bridge has been in the works for about 15 years.
The project has been on hold in recent months while an environmental review looked into the historical significance of the old mill's land. That means plans for the original groundbreaking date have been moved from 2023 to early 2025.
"Any time you hit that bridge everybody is braking, and then you're going like two miles per hour over the bridge, and then everybody speeds up," said Emily Steele, who works at the Flower Shoppe near the bridge. "It causes so much traffic."
Employees at several of the local businesses are anxious for the arrival of the new bridge because of how much they rely on a steady flow of traffic.
"These are a lot of employees who count on the bridge being open to bring everyone in and then get out safely," said Angie Deeds, who owns the Flower Shoppe.
Plans call for the new bridge, which will be moved upstream to the other side of the dam of Silver Creek, will have one lane in each direction. The plan is to keep the original bridge location up and open to drivers during the entirety of the project.
The bridge has a long history, with the first bridge built sometime in late 1800s. The version that stands today was rebuilt in 1964 after a flood.
The last time the bridge closed for emergency repairs was in November 2021, when a large hole formed in the concrete.
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