Harrods Creek Bridge Construction Delayed By Months

Legal battles have delayed the completion date for reconstruction of the Harrods Creek Bridge in eastern Jefferson County. It was closed by state inspectors last November due to safety concerns.The city began rebuilding and widening the one-lane span in June, but faced two lawsuits from the conservation group River Fields, which sought to preserve the bridge's original structure.River Fields won an injunction in July, but eventually lost a federal appeal and dropped both suits. But the injunction stopped work during summer months, when the weather is favorable for large projects. Mayor's spokesperson Chris Poynter says there's not much construction that can be done this year."They're going to be able to work for maybe a month or two more, depending on the weather. Then when it gets very cold in late December, early January, they're most likely going to have to stop for a couple months," he says.Construction was originally set to be finished this year, but will now continue through next fall. Poynter says the delay will not likely increase the project's two-million dollar cost.