A Bridge Too Far

Confidants to Zionsville Confidential have reported that Bridge 220 - Ford Road over Eagle Creek - has taken another turn.

Apparently, now the Zionsville Town Council and a County Councilor have a concern that the bridge won't hold the amount of traffic they have planned. The bridge served busy state highway 44 over a river in Shelby County, so one wonders - just what does the developer backed council have planned for traffic?

It isn't for future business traffic, since the Economic Development planning area is nowhere near this bridge.

A week ago, the Boone County Council delivered what could amount to a death blow to the bridge when it voted unanimously to hold back funding until all sides reach a consensus on how to proceed, which could come to the boiling point at the council's June meeting.

''All sides'' involve the county council, the Boone County Commissioners and the Zionsville Town Council.

The Gordian knot to untangle is because the law gives the county commissioners authority to build, replace, and maintain bridges, but the purse strings to fund bridges is the pervue of the county council, and that's where Bridge 220 is in limbo.

The commissioners have voted to proceed with the bridge, but the county council is on the fence. Zionsville, which has no authority over the bridge, wants a say because the bridge is on a thoroughfare in its transportation planning area.

One wonders why the commissioners don't bite the bullet and ask a judge to mandate the county council to cough up the funds, because as it stands, the current bridge is a public safety disaster waiting to happen.

Dating to 1994, the county has examined replacing the existing concrete two-lane span. In April 2004, the Greater Historic Traders Point organization proposed replacing the bridge with a 1940s-era steel truss structure from Shelby County on Indiana 44.

The state transportation department sold the bridge, which was dismantled, rehabed, painted, and awaited the reassembly over Eagle Creek.

At that time, it appeared all sides were on the same page about relocating the structure in Boone County.

But, with elections came a change of elected officials, some with strong opinions about the bridge.

And, one of those officials who has been leading the charge against relocating the steel span is Gene Thompson, of Zionsville, who is a member of the Boone County Council.


Thompson has succeeded in gaining traction for his opposition with several members of the new Zionsville Town Council, headed by Tim Haak. Just why Thompson has taken a Greek stand in all this has raised eyebrows: Is Thompson building a base from which to further himself politically? Whose dog does he have in this fight?

The irony in all this is the amount of money it will cost taxpayers.

Rejecting the steel truss structure, engineering and building a new concrete bridge, reconfiguring the curve at Ford Road at 96th Street will cost county taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars more that using the existing, rehabiliated steel bridge.

Oh well, it's only money.