DEFIANCE (WTOL) - It’s been one month since the Clinton Street Bridge in Defiance was closed and it’s not going to open back up any time soon.
With the town of Defiance, in essence, cut in half for the majority of the year, businesses closest to the bridge are now technically an out of the way destination for half of the town, despite their central location.
For the Circle K just north of the Clinton Street Bridge, outside of neighbors who live around the block, most of their business now is selling snacks and drinks to the construction workers here.
“I guess you don’t realize how many people live across the river that used to come, and aren’t coming now. You don’t realize that,” said Circle K employee Nancy Bruce.
Dos Eppi’s one block south of the bridge had the same problem.
The burrito and taco joint has seen a huge decrease in foot traffic, because for anyone to get there from the north side, it could take 15 minutes extra travel time.
“During the day, we have a lot of business downtown, the courthouse is right across the street, and so it hasn’t effective us too much at lunch. but, in the evening it has kind of turned into a ghost town down here,” said Dos Eppi’s manager Shannon Herevia.
The $8.3 million project is completely rebuilding the bridge from the foundation up to widen the traveling deck for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and making it safer for boat traffic beneath as well.
Even though the entire construction project is expected to last 18 months, ODOT is expects the new bridge to be open to partial traffic by Thanksgiving.
