SMITHFIELD — Robert Jackson was surprised and angered to learn that the bridge linking his used-car lot to downtown might close.

“We’ve got to have it open, else we’d just be paralyzed,” said Jackson, 75, who has run his small dealership, Stanley Auto Sales, out of a trailer on West Market Street for 27 years.

Sales are already down because of the recession — he sells only a few cars a week — and closing the bridge would put him out of business, Jackson said. Many of his buyers are people who pass by and see his cars.

Last week, the N.C. Department of Transportation unveiled two options for replacing the aging bridge over the Neuse River. One option would take out the old bridge all at once. Replacing it would take less than two years. The other plan would keep the bridge open with two lanes of traffic instead of four, but that piecemeal approach would take up to three years.

If the bridge closes, traffic will be detoured to the new Booker Dairy Road extension, scheduled to open in late 2011. From West Smithfield, the detours would steer traffic to either Buffalo Road or Bright Leaf Boulevard. The detours are four and 5.5 miles long, respectively.

Taking out the bridge for construction would cost the DOT up to 25 percent less, but project engineer Derrick Weaver said that would not be the main consideration. “We leave that up to the locals,” he said. “We’re not trying to force down an option on anyone.”

DOT officials want feedback on the options from residents and town officials, and will make a decision early next year. About 15 people attended a forum on the plans June 22. But several affected business owners, including Jackson, were unaware of the bridge-replacement project until contacted by a reporter from The Herald.

Mayor Norman Johnson said the Town Council plans to work with business owners throughout the process. He said many council members think closing the bridge is the best option, but they haven’t taken an official stance and could change their minds.

“I think it’s because of the congestion,” Johnson said, noting that traffic downtown could get bad with a two-lane bridge. “There’s no good solution.”

But the Downtown Smithfield Development Corp. voted unanimously to keep the bridge open during construction.

“All the business owners that I’ve spoken with feel that it would have a tremendous impact on downtown should they close the bridge — not only during construction, but years after that,” said Chris Johnson, head of the downtown group.

In New Bern, a drawbridge to downtown closed in 2007. The New Bern Sun-Journal reported that businesses are suffering because of the closing — tourists continue to go downtown, but locals avoid it. Jug to move?

The Little Brown Jug, located just a few yards from the bridge, could be the only downtown business to suffer if the bridge remains open. DOT officials said the lane shifts required under that plan would likely force the bar to move.

“The construction limits are pretty much on top of the Little Brown Jug,” said Weaver, the project engineer. The bar would not be affected directly if the bridge closed for construction.

Chris Johnson, the downtown leader, said the group would do everything in its power to keep the bar in business. “That’s been an icon for downtown Smithfield for so long,” he said. “Our objective is to keep the bridge open and keep the Jug open.”

The Little Brown Jug’s owners were out of town and unavailable for comment. Traffic troubles

Regardless of which plan the DOT chooses, traffic will almost certainly become a problem in Smithfield during the project.

The Booker Dairy Road extension will only be two lanes wide, and other streets used for detours will need to be modified to handle extra traffic. Weaver said about 25,000 cars use West Market Street every day.

“That’s definitely more capacity than a two-lane road would have,” he said. “It would definitely create some backups.”

Chris Johnson said locals likely would use the Booker Dairy Road extension if the bridge stayed open and got jammed with traffic.

“People are going to go the shortest distance,” he said. He’s also concerned about the effect of detoured traffic on quiet neighborhoods north of downtown.

But Patrick Harris, director of emergency services for the town, said he thinks keeping the bridge open would back up traffic throughout downtown. “That could possibly cause us more disruption of service than just closing the bridge,” he said. “We actually lean toward just closing the bridge.”

Whether the bridge closes or stays open, fire and rescue services will need a base in West Smithfield to maintain their response times, Harris said. “We will have something in place to protect citizens of that area,” he said. “We’re looking at a lot of different options. Something permanent would be our first choice.”