NEW HARMONY, IN (WFIE) -
The New Harmony Bridge has been closed since May and farmers are now hoping transportation officials will let them drive their farming equipment on the interstate.
New Harmony farmers say they now have to drive their equipment from New Harmony, all the way down to Mt. Vernon, and across the Wabash Memorial Bridge.
In all, they say the process of getting there and back takes about two hours. A process they say use to take just a matter of minutes.
When asked how difficult will it be come harvest time to have to travel that same route, farmer Tim Wiley said," It'll be a pain."
Brothers Tim and Todd Wiley say the closing of the New Harmony Bridge has deeply impacted the town's local businesses, and they say Wiley Trucking and Farms has been no exception.
"The impact is huge. You know, it use to be four miles, just a few miles away from the farm. And now we travel to Mt. Vernon and around and back, which takes roughly about two hours, to go down and back," Tim said.
With the bridge out and no concrete plans for a new one in place, options for reducing that time are limited.
But Cher Elliott of INDOT says area farmers, the Posey County Sheriff's Office, and Representative Wendy McNamara are working on a proposal to allow farming equipment on Interstate 64.
"They're putting together some information to share with us about what's going on, how many individuals could be affected, and just other data that's important," Elliott said. "INDOT is looking to see if there's any solution that we can come up with to accommodate the farmers."
Elliott says INDOT's main concern is with safety on the interstate. As large, slow moving vehicles could be put at risk, among fast moving traffic. She also says INDOT isn't the only department the farmers need to convince.
"It'll also have to be reviewed and approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation, because they oversee the interstate on the other side of the river," Elliott said.
"If we can work together on this thing and get it taken care of, that'd be great," Todd Wiley said.
The main concern expressed by the Wiley brothers on Tuesday was the additional cost of fuel and wear-and-tear on their equipment due to the two hour drive.
Also, Elliott says if the equipment is allowed on the interstate, it must be accompanied by a police escort.
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