Whether they are heading north or south, motorists in Hope may encounter delays due to bridge construction projects that begin next month.
People driving south from Hope on State Road 9 should anticipate one direction-at-a time traffic flow a half-mile north of the State Road 46 — East 25th Street intersection.
Workers will first widen and repair the 260-foot long bridge over Clifty Creek near the Hope Veterinary Clinic. Later, they will remove and replace the bridge deck and railing, as well as install new approach slabs, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Traffic will be controlled by temporary signals at either end of the bridge, which carries about 4,780 vehicles per day, INDOT said.
For people heading north of Hope, temporary signals controlling one-lane traffic flows will be found on either side of the 100-foot bridge crossing Little Haw Creek.
That structure, which carries about 4,070 vehicles per day, will receive a modified deck overlay, new approaches and a variety of repairs, according to INDOT.
Work is tentatively scheduled to begin April 10 on both projects, and are expected to cost a combined $1.5 million, the agency said.
