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Savanna bridge opening delayed until Labor Day

SABULA, IOWA–The new bridge between Savanna, Illinois and Sabula, Iowa is done but now there’s problem at other end of the highway attached to Sabul...

SABULA, IOWA--The new bridge between Savanna, Illinois and Sabula, Iowa is done but now there's problem at other end of the highway attached to Sabula.

"It`s just been a major inconvenience and it will be", said Sabula resident Louis Lipsey. Lipsey depends on the U.S 52 highway to get into Savanna for groceries and to see his girlfriend. The commute now takes him an extra forty minutes.

The highway was scheduled to open in May but a smaller bridge connecting to Sabula had to be torn down due to safety concerns.

Now, there is a giant gap between roadways making it impossible to cross.

Flooding has put further construction on hold. Making residents believe it will affect business.

"It`s kinda affecting the economy of both communities. There`s more than one community. Savanna relied on Sabula, Sabula relied on savanna. Getting groceries before was only a five minute trip and now it can be twenty minutes to a half hour", said Lipsey.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation say they are looking for other ways to connect the two cities like a ferry or water taxi.

For now, Sabula residents worry what this delay will do to the economy. "Summertime is usually you`ll get motorcyclists coming through, the ice cream shop, people would stand in line, and we don`t know exactly as the summer goes on just what kind of an impact it`s going to have", said Lipsey.

 

Work is expected to pick back up once water levels are back to normal.

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