INDOT updates schedule for Sherman Minton Bridge project
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The Indiana Department of Transportation is updating its construction schedule for the final phase of the Sherman Minton Renewal project. Officials say the bridge, which carries I-64 and US 150 traffic over the Ohio River between New Albany and Louisville, is set to be substantially complete by late spring 2024.
The double-decked Sherman Minton Bridge carries a total of six lanes of traffic across the river. The new permanent configuration will have westbound traffic on the top deck and eastbound traffic on the bottom deck.
Construction on the four-phase project began in 2021. The fourth and final phase got underway in late November. However, INDOT said the updated schedule was made due to industry-wide delays caused by material and labor shortages.
“We truly appreciate the community’s patience as we revitalize this important link between Louisville and New Albany,” INDOT Project Manager Danny Corbin said in a news release. “Early on, the public made it clear that it preferred a longer construction schedule with more access instead of a complete closure. Even with the modified schedule, we will continue to maintain access to the bridge during the vast majority of construction and continue progress in the safest manner possible for both motorists and workers.”
The project is a public-private partnership involving INDOT, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and contractor Kokosing Construction Co.
Under the amended agreement by the partners, the bridge will continue to remain open 95% of the time, and officials will notify the public of “any significant restrictions.”
The final phase of the project includes structural steel repair and replacement, bridge painting, pavement preservation, and concrete bridge deck replacement on the final section of the upper deck.
While the permanent traffic configuration is set to be in place by late spring, INDOT says additional incidental work with limited impact on traffic will continue into late summer.
You can learn more about the Sherman Minton Renewal project by clicking here.