Two bridges along Interstate 65 in northern Bartholomew County will be down to one lane on nights and weekends for the next two months.
The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to close one lane of I-65 northbound and southbound in April and May at these bridges:
- U.S. 31 at Taylorsville (Exit 76)
- The Louisville and Indiana railroad tracks, located seven-tenths of a mile north of U.S. 31.
While one lane of all bridges always will remain open, there may be ramp closings at the Taylorsville exit, transportation department spokesman Harry Maginity said.
The first phase of the $797,273 project is to make conventional repairs to the four bridges, Maginity said.
Next, crews will put down a layer of a specialty asphalt to seal driving surfaces, lower maintenance costs and extend the life of the bridge, Maginity said.
In addition, flint chips will be added to the mix to provide vehicles with improved maneuverability and stopping capabilities, he said.
The state has hired RAM Construction Services, based in the Cincinnati area, to do the work.
Once the project is completed, another I-65 construction project a few miles north — at the Edinburgh-Flat Rock interchange — will begin, Maginity said.
That’s where most of the work is being focused this year as INDOT prepares to widen six miles of State Road 252 in southern Shelby County. Improvements on State Road 252 will be from I-65 east to the town of Flat Rock.
While similar road work was originally planned this year along I-65 in southern Bartholomew County, that project has been postponed until 2017, Maginity said.
