WEATHERBY LAKE, Mo. -- There's a big battle going on over a little bridge near Weatherby Lake.

The bridge on Barry Road has been shut down for construction for more than a year and officials said it may be shut down for at least another year.

Residents said that trips that used to take minutes now take much longer. In addition to the inconvenience, there also appear to be safety issues with having the bridge closed.

"The ambulance came here and weren't sure how to get around and I had to lead them out to go to the hospital," resident Dana Atwell said.

The mayor of Weatherby Lake said Kansas City had projected January as the completion date but city officials said late summer of 2010 has always been their target date.