NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Completely shutting down the Sherman Minton Bridge during reconstruction will be bad news for business in New Albany, according to councilman Al Knable.
In July, the public was invited to learn more about the Sherman Minton Renewal Project, where six different options were presented. Some would change traffic patterns and impact the bridge decks and direction of traffic. Others would close certain lanes. And one would completely shut the bridge down.
“There's a great deal of concern about the bridge closing,” Knable said. “I mean, it is the lifeblood for a lot of our economy.”
Knable doesn't want that option to be chosen. Even though the duration of construction will be the shortest with that option, he said it would come at a cost to small business owners.
“It really would shut off downtown New Albany, which right now is booming,” said Andrew Collins, the owner of Boomtown Kitchen in New Albany.
On Thursday, Knable will present a resolution to council supporting bridge access during construction. The resolution is non-binding, which means it can't tell the Indiana Department of Transportation what to do. But Knable said it’s still important to be voted on.
“If we did not say something, our collective silence might speak louder than our collective voice wanting to keep it open," he said. "Unfortunately, if we were silent about it, I think it would say just do whatever you want to do."
The next opportunity for public input will take place during a public hearing planned for late fall or early winter, but no date has been set.
The project is expected to start in early 2021.
Related Stories:
Copyright 2019 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
