Detours start Tuesday evening as crews begin work on Sherman Minton Bridge ramps

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After years of anticipation, construction on the Sherman Minton Bridge renewal project begins Tuesday night.

Construction on the interstate ramps surrounding the bridge will get underway at 9 p.m. Thursday and finish up at 6 a.m.

"The ramp improvements are largely going to affect the shoulders only at this point in time," said Andrea Brady, spokeswoman for the Sherman Minton Bridge Renewal Project. "It is really just an effort to strengthen the shoulders in order to add additional capacity to drivers so that I-65 can serve as a detour route."

The ramp work is preparation for the main work on the bridge. Crews will improve the Interstate 65/Interstate 265 interchange and the Interstate 64/I-265 interchange. The work will enhance traffic flow on the ramps and prepare for the bulk of the Sherman Minton Bridge renewal project.

Brady said the initial ramp construction and strengthening the shoulders will help increase capacity when the larger construction phases begin.

The nearly 60-year-old bridge carries around 70,000 vehicles to and from Louisville and New Albany every day. When the bulk of the project begins in August, at least one lane of traffic in each direction will stay open for most of the project.

"It really will be pretty short-lived, and I don't think drivers will notice a whole lot," Brady said. "There may be some delays because there will be a detour in place, but again, not expecting significant delays."

While some drivers plan to stick it out and deal with lane closures, others, like Shane Elsbury, said they'll find another way around.

"I think we'll probably just take 65 just because we don't want to get stuck in traffic and I don't mind paying the toll every once in a while since I don't go over very often," Elsbury said.

Once construction gets started on the ramps, drivers will have to deal with lane closures and delays. At this time, the six lanes of traffic will be reduced to two in each direction. I-265 and I-65 will serve as detour routes while lanes are restricted.

Signs have already been posted alerting drivers to the changes.

Depending on weather conditions, it should take about two weeks to complete work on the ramps. Then Phase 1 for construction starts late next month on the lower deck of the bridge. The entire renewal project will take place in multiple phases and is expected to continue for three years. When complete, officials said the project will add up to 30 years of life to the bridge.

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