Reopening of Ohio River bridge gives lift to businesses

The reopening of the Sherman Minton Bridge has business returning to normal more than five months after a crack in load-bearing steel led to Gov. Mitch Daniels to order the span over the Ohio River closed.

At The Keg Liquors on Market Street in New Albany, manager Charity Cochran says she business was better than normal Saturday after the bridge reopened late Friday. She says she saw several Kentucky driver's licenses among those of her customers that she checked.

The Transit Authority of River City says it will resume normal bus services between Louisville and southern Indiana this week.

The bridge had been used by more than 80,000 vehicles per day between New Albany and Louisville, Ky. Traffic shifted to two other Ohio River bridges, causing longer rush-hour delays.