The sudden closure of an unstable, half-mile bridge spanning Lake Champlain in Essex County is isolating the communities that rely on it and harming nearby businesses, Associated Press reports.

The closing does not bode well for other communities that could suffer the same problem of failing roads and infrastructure.

“There are a huge number of people who live in New York and work in Vermont, and vice versa, but also many, many people in Crown Point, Fort (William) Henry and Ticonderoga get their health care in Middlebury, Vermont, at Porter hospital,” New York state Sen. Elizabeth Little said.

Barbara Brassard, executive director of the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, said businesses that normally benefit from through traffic on the Crown Point Bridge have suffered losses between 30 and 90 percent since the bridge closed in mid-October.

Go to Google News to see the entire AP story.