Louisville Gets New Bridge: Indiana and Kentucky to Share the Costs

LaPorte-based Walsh Construction Co. will oversee the $103 million project, which is scheduled for completion in September 2012.

The new bridge is being partially funded with a $20 million federal grant, with Indiana and Kentucky paying the remainder.

Source: miltonmadisonbridge.com

News Release

Louisville, Ky. (November 12, 2010) – Preliminary activity is currently underway in staging areas near the site of the new U.S. 421 Milton-Madison Bridge, including archaeological activity and soil sampling. This initial work must be completed before construction can begin.

Project contractor, Walsh Construction Company, has begun setting up portable offices in a staging area along Jaycee Park in Madison, which will be used for the next two years during construction. The staging area will be used to house office space, construction equipment and materials.

Following construction, Walsh will restore the park to its existing condition or better, including, restored volleyball courts, a new picnic shelter, playground equipment, basketball goals and a new riverfront sidewalk on the north side of Vaughn Drive.

Workers began core drilling this week along the Milton riverfront to gather soil samples where temporary bridge ramps and piers will be constructed. That work will continue into next week.

Archeological surveying is expected to begin next week in Milton. Workers will use backhoes to excavate areas along the riverfront to determine the presence of possible artifacts and potential impact by the project.

The official project groundbreaking is scheduled for November 30.

The Milton-Madison (U.S. 421) Bridge Project is bi-state effort between The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). The new bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic by September 15, 2012, will be constructed using two innovative methods: “superstructure replacement” and “truss sliding.” A new steel truss superstructure will be constructed on the existing bridge piers, which will be widened and rehabilitated. Once constructed atop temporary piers immediately downstream of the existing bridge, the new 3,181-foot truss will “slide” along steel rails, moving to its permanent location on the renovated existing piers. This innovative method reduces the originally anticipated 365-day construction-related bridge closure to just 10 days. For more information, visit www.MiltonMadisonBridge.com