Imagine adding 30 minutes to your route home and to work.

This is the reality for many Bullitt County residents due to the recent shutdown of Bells Mill Road.

Bells Mill Road was objectively the most convenient road to get from Hillview and Mount Washington. It’s heavily affecting the residents of Bullitt County due to the traffic that comes along with the road closure. The people who live in these three neighboring towns are outraged at the inconvenience this has caused in their lives.

Bells Mill Road is the only direct connection between the cities of Hillview and Mount Washington. Now, if residents of either city would like to visit the other, the only way is to go through Shepherdsville or take a detour up Bardstown Road. This not only creates a longer route but also increases traffic within these small towns.

“My grandkids live out behind Southeast, and I live in Hillview, and now any time I want to see them it’s so much more difficult,” Todd Fleig, a Hillview resident, said.

This traffic is not just affecting the towns of Bullitt County; the neighboring community of Fern Creek is also facing the side effects of this road closure. The residents of Hillview and Mount Washington can take two paths to accommodate the road closure and get where they need to go without using Bells Mill. One route is through Bardstown Road and onto the Gene Snyder Freeway, and the other route is on Highway 44 and through Shepherdsville, either on Highway 65-North or on Preston Highway. This creates an influx of traffic in those surrounding areas.

“It affects the traffic and all the surrounding areas, especially around five. I work right off of 44, and this traffic affects me and all the people in Shepherdsville. Many people can’t get where they need to go on time,” Brenna Simon, a Shepherdville resident, said.

Traffic in Shepherdville has been a lot worse than it used to be since the closing, according to residents. This closing creates a detour for them with all the traffic, but also for the people who just work in Shepherdsville or are there often. Many High School cheerleaders go to GymTyme South, which is located off of Cedar Grove Road in Shepherdsville. Among them is Bullitt East High School cheerleader and Mount Washington resident Bailey Basham, who has outwardly expressed her outrage at this situation.

“It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever had to sit through. It’s pointless and dangerous- my car got hit the other day because people are so eager to get home. It takes me 40 minutes to get home now instead of 15,” Basham said.

The people who live here are so angry with the enormous detours and excessive time it’s taking them to get where they need to go. Whether it’s to a sport, work, or even home, everyone affected by this is extremely infuriated, because as the old saying goes, “Time is Money”.

Frustration continues to build as residents consider the long-term timeline of local construction projects. It is expected to take 6 months to fix the bridge, then, after waiting 6 months for the bridge to be built, it will be followed up closely by the expansion and expected shutdown of Highway 44 in Mount Washington. Construction is expected to begin less than three years after the Bells Mill bridge is completed. This adds to the concern and anger of the Bullitt County residents, as it’s going to be its own separate issue soon after.

“The way it backs up other traffic and extends the time because we have to go around town, and the other roads have limited access because of other traffic, which makes your commute almost double. The bigger problem is gonna be when they widen 44 over there by Bullitt East,” Fleig said.

This closure, while temporary, may have lingering effects on traffic flow in affected areas, reflecting some of the frustration among citizens of these areas. A small project fixing a broken bridge turned into the outrage of numerous citizens of Bullitt County and surrounding areas, a reaction that officials may have underestimated.