16th Street bridge over White River in Indianapolis to close for 2 years INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The 16th Street bridge over the White River will close June 1. The full reconstruction was expected to last up to two years, bringing detours and concerns for businesses that rely on that traffic. People who live near the area say they think closing the bridge will be a big inconvenience and may take longer than expected. Businesses and residents of the area plan to meet for a town hall at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to talk about the bridge closure. Adam Johnson, who lives near the area, said, “It’s probably going to be closed another four years, and my question is, why, what is the purpose? We’re trying to figure out what’s wrong with the bridge in the first place, and what’s the upgrades you’re going to make to it.” Larry McFarland, who also lives near the area, said, “For two years it’s going to be closed, all that traffic, it’s going to be bad over here. It’s already bad in this area and one area over here. For two years, man, it’s going to be bad.” According to the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, many bridges, including the 16th Street bridge have been overlooked for maintenance, and the work is necessary to ensure safe travel in the future. A statement from Public Works said, “Closing a historic bridge for two years or more for rehabilitation is a typical timeframe for public works departments across the country. This timeframe is due in part to the specific requirements for historic infrastructure work as well as the complexities of the associated utility work. Public Works also said the department will investigate if any alternative timeframes are feasible. As the owners of Long’s Bakery see it, closing the bridge for that time frame could be devastating for them and other nearby businesses. Long’s Bakery co-owner Crystal Smith, said, “What we’re asking about is for clear communication, a better plan. We’ve always been originally told that it was going to be a partial closure, now it’s a full shutdown. We have not been communicated with or had any plan about how it’s going to affect business is this community.” Smith says when the bakery had to temporarily close for nearly five hours during the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. The popular doughnut shop saw a decrease in sales from 15% to 20% in just one day. They’re also concerned about traffic flow. Long’s Bakery co-owner Robby Smith said, “The detours could really affect the community where people get frustrated and they could start driving down roads they’re not familiar with, and start speeding or don’t mind the traffic. That’s a real concern for the whole community.” Long-time customer Martha Beard says she’s been coming to the bakery for decades. Even though the bridge closure is for a few years, she’s hopeful it won’t affect business too much. “Whatever they have to do to get the bridge safe would be good, but Long’s Bakery is not going to lose, because we’ll find a way to get to Long’s Bakery, OK?” ...read more read less