NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Until father notice, the top deck Interstate 64 westbound lane on the Sherman Minton Bridge will be closed.

This leaves only one lane going west and drivers can no longer take exit 123 to get off in New Albany.

Drivers have said that since the closure, it's been nothing but slowdowns and delays for both sides of the river.

"Oh I hate it," Vivan Brown, a Louisville resident, said.

Sherman Minton construction drone view

A drone view of Sherman Minton Bridge on July 20, 2023. (WDRB photo)

"It's becoming quite a headache for sure," Joesar Watkins, a New Albany resident, said.

Officials with the Sherman Minton Renewal Project said in a news release Wednesday evening that "during demolition activities, a component of the bridge deck on the Indiana Approach Bridge was found to be in need of immediate repair before traffic can be permitted to cross the top deck."

Specifically, the issue is related to a flange on one of the beams that was observed upon removal of a section of deck, according to Andrea Brady, a spokesperson for the bridge project. 

This closure means, for however long the repair takes, people like Vivian Brown who make regular trips from Louisville are having to re-route.

"I brought my grandkids to take swimming lessons," she said, referring to New Albany's YMCA. "We were like 20 minutes late and we left early. I said, 'What do we have to do? Leave an hour early?'"

Some New Albany families have been changing their summer plans due to the bridge construction.

"We have Zoo memberships, science center memberships and we'd go over there - we were at the Zoo at least once or twice a week, and now it's down to every two weeks just because getting there, getting back, we don't want to keep paying for a toll bridge," Watkins said.

Watkins will also be working from home more instead of commuting to Louisville. He says he'll keep checking to see when the lane may reopen.

"Wake up every morning and check Google Maps to figure out if I can go that route or not," Watkins said.

The situation is also inconvenient for New Albany business owners.

"I also go across the bridge too because I have to get across Louisville to get to some of my vendors and stuff," Stevie Carper, owner of the New Albany Sugar Shoppe, said. "I have to plan ahead and see if the bridge is going to be open."

Carper said closures like this also deter her Louisville customers from coming to Sugar Shoppe.

She, and everyone else impacted, hope this issue won't be too much of a setback for the Sherman Minton Project.

"I think everybody's ready for all of this to be over," Carper said.

A spokesperson for the Sherman Minton Renewal Project said there isn't any estimated timeframe for the repair currently.

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

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