Harmony Way Bridge Act Passed
U.S. Congressman Larry Bucshon of Indiana announced this week the Harmony Way Bridge Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Buschon said, “the Harmony Way Bridge was a feat of American engineering when it opened, but after decades of use the bridge was closed in 2012 due to structural concerns. Communities on both sides of the Wabash River in Indiana and Illinois want to see this historic community landmark preserved. Unfortunately, the federal law that led to the bridge’s construction has also prevented it from being refurbished and reopened by both states. Instead the bridge sits closed and simply sitting in a legal limbo.”
Buschon went on to say, “We took a step forward by breathing new life into the historica Harmony Way Bridge. The Restore Harmony Way Bridge Act will convey the bridge to the New Harmony Bridge Bi-State Commission established by Indiana and Illinois; allowing the states to take over management of the bridge and write the next chapter for the historical bridge.”
However, it is still not clear what will happen to the bridge, as the Restore Harmony Way Bridge Act now goes to the U.S. Senate, where it is has been introduced by Senator Todd Young of Indiana.
Members of the Bi-State Commission hope to re-open the bridge in some form. Whether that is just a pedestrian bridge or open to light traffic is still up in the air, as the structural integrity of the bridge is still questionable.
While local residents, from both sides of the Wabash would like to the see the bridge reopened, funding for bridge rehabilitation is still questionable. So the bottom line, it’s still not clear if and when the bridge could be reopened or if it can even be reopened to traffic. That is something the Bi-State Commission is currently working on along with options for restoring the bridge to use.
