Traffic between Clarksville and New Albany hit a major snag earlier this year when a low-head dam failed, closing a bridge between the two areas.
Now, the dam underneath the bridge that caused the issue is coming down, and work to repair the connector road can move ahead.
Work started Monday to remove the Blackiston Mill Dam in Silver Creek. Officials estimate it will take about five days to remove the full structure and three to six weeks to repair the Blackiston Mill Bridge above it. That’s been closed since February, but could reopen by September.
Floyd County Commissioners President Al Knable said Monday the work restores Silver Creek’s natural flow and will allow for repairs to get travelers across the roadway.
“This is truly a very powerful example of what can happen when government and private sector work together towards the common good,” he said. “And we're going to restore this bridge for the commuters of this whole Southern Indiana area as soon as we can assess this and…ensure that it's safe to travel on once again.”
It will cost $200,000 to remove the dam — $50,000 from Floyd County and the rest from private donors through the River Heritage Conservancy, which oversees plans for Origin Park. Knable said that organization also connected the commissioners with Jerry Sweeten, with EcoSystems Connections Institute, LLC, who helped expedite the permitting process.
The dam’s failure eroded part of the bank near the bridge, which Knable said left it vulnerable to future floods. He said the dam had to be removed before the existing bridge could be repaired.
“It's a very old bridge,” Knable said. “It's done a great job, but like anything else, it's showing its age, and we're doing our best to safely get it across the finish line so we can bring it down in a respectful manner when we open up the new one.”
Bridge repairs are estimated at $120,000 to reopen the roadway to the roughly 22,000 cars that pass over it every day. Commissioner Frank Loop said that’s caused traffic to be diverted to Veterans Parkway. The commissioners say it’s hurt businesses on both sides of the bridge.
Work for a new bridge, which Knable said will be around 150 yards upstream from the existing one, is expected to start in fall and be finished in 2028. That project is estimated to cost around $8 million. It’s funded through an 80-20 match from the federal government.
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
