TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Starting Monday September 24 through November 30, drivers and pedestrians will have to find alternative routes across the river in downtown Toledo, because the Martin Luther King Jr. bridge will be closed.
Alternative routes can include using the Craig Street Bridge or the Anthony Wayne Bridge.
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz held a press conference at International Park, to get everyone geared up for the project.
He said that it began when engineers were working on the Toledo Waterways Initiative and discovered they couldn't drill under Cherry Street like they thought, so they will be cutting the road.
The city held multiple meetings with business owners, citizens, and representatives from Waite High School about when they should close the bridge.
"We all agreed that this time of year would be preferable to the Spring for a lot of reasons, so I don't think anyone's happy about it, I'm not happy about it but I do think the impact will be minimal," said the mayor.
Emergency crews are also preparing for any delays this closure could cause.
"The plan is to deploy our resources wisely. The best thing about this is it's not unscheduled. We know this is a reality. Emergency crews from time to time will encounter delays they don't know about: traffic jams, congestions, accidents at least this one we know about," said the mayor.
Businesses are also improvising. The restaurants at the Docks will be offering specials throughout the closure to accommodate for any inconvenience.
"The patios are still open. I mean, it's the middle of September and it's 90 degrees, so the weather's been great. We have the water taxi that will be running as long as the weather holds out so that will bring people across the river," Kelly Becker the GM of Real Seafood Company said.
We'll continue to keep you updated throughout the closure.
