Eastbound lanes of I-64 on Sherman Minton Bridge closed until Dec. 23

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The eastbound lanes of Interstate 64 crossing the Sherman Minton Bridge will be closed for more than a week.

The lanes were shut down at 4 a.m. as part of a planned nine-day directional closure of the bridge.

That means drivers can't take the bridge to get from New Albany to Louisville until the bridge reopens. The lanes are scheduled to reopen at 4 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, but that date could change based on weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

"We live down here, we go down the street that we normally go on and then there's a big sign saying closed and we're like, dang so now we have to go down a different street so yeah, it's really confusing," Sheila Merk, a resident of New Albany, said.

The I-64 east entrance ramp from West Spring Street in downtown New Albany and the I-64 east to Interstate 264 ramp will also remain closed during that time. The westbound lanes of I-64 crossing the bridge will remain open.

The scheduled detour for the closure will take drivers onto Interstates 265 and 65.

The closure comes at the start of the second phase of the Sherman Minton Renewal Project. Crews finished the first phase last week, completing the first half of the eastbound deck of the bridge.

"I think everyone who has driven across the Sherman Minton Bridge in recent years has noted that there's a lot of rust, and the bridge is just really showing its age and so you see that most clearly on the trusses of the bridge," Andrea Brady, a spokesperson for the Sherman Minton Renewal Project, said. "It's important to note that the deck you drive on, it shows age too and that's really important for public safety. The public needs to know that it matters a lot to have it repaired so they can drive safely across it."

Crews prepared the bridge for the second phase of work over the weekend, shifting the driving lane on the bottom, eastbound deck from the right lane to the left lane. The traffic configuration in place on the upper, westbound deck will remain the same.

Phase Two of the bridge project includes painting, steel repairs and replacing the rest of the eastbound deck. The project consists of five phases and is expected to be finished in late 2023.

"Poor timing on their part because it is right before Christmas and people wanting to get back and forth," Ritch Merk, a resident of New Albany, said. "All it's going to do is add extra tolls for everybody wanting to go across or the Second Street Bridge is going to be blocked."

The work is part of the ongoing Sherman Minton Renewal Project, which is aimed at painting and rehabilitating the now 60-year-old bridge. The project is anticipated to give the bridge up to 30 more years of life.

For more information about the project and for updates, click here. To look at the construction timeline for the project, click here.

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