Public meetings set for this week on Sherman Minton rehab project

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The $92 million renovation of the Sherman Minton Bridge is the subject of two public meetings set for this week.

Indiana and Kentucky hope to start a massive rehabilitation of the 56-year-old crossing in early 2021, a project meant to add 30 years to its lifespan.

Required as part of a federal environmental study, the public sessions also will aid transportation officials in deciding on traffic restrictions for the bridge or whether to close it during construction, a project consultant said last month.

The Interstate 64 span is the busiest – and oldest – bridge between Louisville and Southern Indiana, carrying an estimated 90,000 vehicles each day, a recent study found.

The open houses are:

Tuesday, Oct. 2, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Scribner Middle School, 910 Old Vincennes Road in New Albany

Thursday, Oct. 4, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Chestnut Street YMCA, 930 W. Chestnut Street in Louisville

The project, known as the Sherman Minton Renewal, would paint the bridge and replace its roadway. In Indiana, plans call for adding new asphalt to I-64 ramps in New Albany and resurfacing the lanes just west of the bridge and other elevated sections. In Kentucky, crews would replace the roadway leading to the bridge.

The exact cost-sharing hasn’t been determined, officials said last month, estimating that Indiana would pay for 55 percent of the work, while Kentucky would cover the other 45 percent. The price tag has risen from earlier estimates of $80 million by adding other Indiana maintenance work to the project.

The construction could take two to three years, although details of the work will depend on the contractors’ proposals.

To submit a comment or a question about the bridge renewal, click here to be directed to the project's website.