Plans to replace the bridge on U.S. 70 Business in downtown Smithfield are causing controversy.

If the North Carolina Department of Transportation closes the existing bridge, building the new one would take about 18 months, according to Doug Taylor, a NCDOT Project Engineer.

That's the quicker option. And most local leaders who attended a NCDOT forum last month prefer to close the bridge, Taylor said.

"Unfortunately growth means there's going to be growing pains," said Daniel Evans, Smithfield's Mayor Pro Tem. 'And with that, it may be an option that we may have to close the bridge."

But, "we're not ironclad on any option right now," he added.

Local businesses say closing the bridge would cut them off from many of their customers.

"It's a role of the dice that personally I'm not willing to risk," said Chris Johnson, a downtown business owner and the Executive Director of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation. "We'd like to protect business and we'd like to maintain some kind of traffic flow downtown."

NCDOT could keep traffic moving on the old bridge, if it builds the new one in stages. But that would take longer, possibly up to three years.

Local officials are looking for other alternatives.

"It may be that we can shorten the length of time. Maybe in a design-build program. Build the bridge off site before we start," Evans said.

The project may change downtown in another way too.

NCDOT may have to buy four or five properties near the bridge, possible including the Little Brown Jug, a local bar built by Ava Gardner's brother in 1954.

"A lot of people like it. A lot of people come here. And they shouldn't be ignored," said Rob Williams, who has been going to the Little Brown Jug for about 45 years.

NCDOT has not made final decisions, Taylor said.

Construction would not start until October 2011.