LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The eastbound lanes reopened Friday at 5 a.m., marking the end of phase 4 of the Sherman Minton Bridge project.
The eastbound lanes have been closed since May 6, allowing for crews to finish concrete work on the lower bridge approaches.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel or "bridge" for commuters, with its completion marking the end of what very well may be the final closures under the project.
"I'm actually very, very, very happy that it's coming back open because again, we do stay over a lot," Kennedy Allen, a New Albany commuter, said. "The traffic is bad. It's very backed up and especially since they're merging."
"So, to know that it's opening, it gives us great joy just because what I got to do is not gonna' take me an hour to accomplish a task," Lanikia Allen, another commuter said. "It's difficult. Time is money, right? And gas is very expensive. So the reopening will be great because it's that's my normal commute."
Phase 5 of the Renewal Project calls for at least one lane closure every weeknight through most of the project, with the possibility of double lane closures on weekend nights.
The Renewal Team says the phase will last at least several months, with crews painting infrastructure and installing new lights and a traffic system.
The 61-year-old Sherman Minton Bridge carries I-64 and US 150 traffic over the Ohio River between Louisville, Ky. and New Albany.
According to the Sherman Minton Renewal Project's website, the ongoing renovations to the "vital link in the interstate highway system" will add up to 30 years of life to the bridge.
Here are some highlights from the Renewal Team's work, which began in 2021:
- Replacement or refurbishment of all bridge decks
- Rehabilitation or replacement of structural steel elements and hanger cables
- New lighting
- Drainage repairs
- Painting of steel components
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