LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Relief is on the horizon for thousands of drivers as the Sherman Minton Bridge construction winds down.

After many setbacks and delays, this multi-phase project is finally approaching its end and business owners couldn't be happier.

The Sherman Minton sees 70,000 drivers a day.

"I'm very excited, especially this being our first holiday season," said Leticia Rivera, owner of The Wildflower. "Hoping that the opening will just make it a lot easier for people to come over here and shop downtown."

Leticia Rivera opened The Wildflower in downtown New Albany last spring.

Now that crews are in the fifth and final phase of construction, she's looking forward to welcoming new faces to southern Indiana.

"It seemed like you had to go out of your way if you wanted to come to downtown New Albany from Louisville. You really had to want to be down here. So this makes it a little bit more accessible," Rivera said.

Crews have been replacing bridge decks, steel, and hanger cables, adding lighting and draining repairs.

The work shut down different lanes of the bridge several times.

"This is our first year, so everything's new to us, but it was pretty obvious the times when the bridge was closed, seeing kind of how slow things gotten, a little bit dead downtown," Rivera said.

But now, the paint has dried and final traffic patterns are starting to take shape.

"The thing with business and being in a area that's always growing is there's always going to be construction," said Britni Knable, owner of the House of K Boutique. "Now that the bridge is open you have no excuse, but to come shopping."

The Wildflower.jpg

The Wildflower in New Albany.

A spokesperson with the project said all three lanes on both decks of the bridge will remain open to traffic during daytime hours and any remaining construction requiring lane restrictions will take place during weekend or overnight hours.

"We haven't had to put up with the years of construction, and so we're kind of catching it at the tail end. So I feel pretty grateful that what has been a problem in the past is coming to an end," Rivera said.

At last check, a spokesperson said the project should be wrapped up by late November.

Eastbound Interstate 64 will be reduced to one lane Friday, Nov. 22 at 9 p.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23.

And again at 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 through 1 p.m. Sunday Nov. 24 but all westbound lanes will remain open.

The ongoing construction is part of the 3-year Sherman Minton Renewal Project, which involves painting and rehabilitating the 61-year-old bridge. The project is anticipated to give the six-lane, double-decked span up to 30 more years of life.

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