Bridge closure worries businesses in northern Indiana city

PERU, Ind. (AP) - Some business owners in a northern Indiana city are worried that a months-long bridge closure could hurt their bottom lines.

The Kelly Avenue Bridge crosses the Wabash River on Peru's west side and provides the city's main access point from U.S. 31.

The span closed to traffic Tuesday for a nearly $2 million rehabilitation and will remain shuttered until November, restricting access to an area with several restaurants, banks and retail stores.

Some nearby business owners fear the closure could hurt their sales.

Kevin Dunn is general manager of Wings Etc. He tells the Kokomo Tribune that the eatery "can survive in the short term" but maybe not if the bridge closure permanently changes residents' traffic patterns.

The 1930s bridge is one of Indiana's last truss bridges of its kind.

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com