LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Construction work gets underway this week to prepare alternative routes to take on more traffic during the rehabilitation of the Sherman Minton Bridge.

Drivers may encounter nighttime lane and ramp closures around the I-64/I-265 interchange and I-65/I-265 interchange in Southern Indiana beginning July 13. The ramp improvements are being made to strengthen the shoulders before the first phase of bridge construction begins next month. 

The double-decker Sherman Minton Bridge connecting Louisville to New Albany, Indiana over the Ohio River on Interstate 64 and U.S. 150 will undergo a major facelift. Called the "Sherman Minton Renewal," the rehabilitation and painting project is expected to extend the life of the bridge up to 30 years. 

Andrea Brady, spokesperson for the Sherman Minton Renewal, said the 59-year-old bridge still has its original deck. The $137 million project includes deck replacement, steel structural repairs, drainage repairs, installation of new lighting and hangar cables.

The bridge was abruptly closed for emergency repairs in 2011. The five month shutdown, dubbed “Shermageddon” by locals, had a tremendous impact on traffic and hurt economies on both sides of the river. Even a decade later, the experience remains front-of-mind for many greater Louisville drivers. While some may shudder at the thought of hearing “Sherman Minton” and “construction” in the same sentence, the project team promises the 70,000 drivers who cross the bridge daily will have as much access as possible throughout construction. 

“We listened to the public and what we heard is, 'give us as much access to the bridge as you can during construction.' So this low impact traffic approach involves full closure of the bridge only 54 total days out of 843 days of total construction,” said Brady. 

The project will take an estimated three construction seasons to complete, with work expected to wrap up in mid-2023. Brady said the ramp improvements beginning this week will take one to two weeks to complete, with phase one of the project expected to start in late August. Phase one includes the first half of eastbound construction on the lower deck and painting of the bridge trusses. The first phase will reduce both eastbound and westbound bridge traffic to two lanes in each direction. The bridge’s paint color will remain a shade of gray. 

Traffic flow on the Sherman Minton will change throughout the two year project. You can follow traffic pattern changes and updates on the project by signing up for the project’s INDOT E-Newsletter. You can also get text alerts sent to your phone by texting "INDOT SMR" to "468311". Check out the project’s website for a detailed overview of lane restrictions and traffic flow changes, FAQs and more.