Bridge to Reopen
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana and Kentucky transportation officials expect the Milton-Madison Bridge to reopen Thursday. Crews last week completed the “slide” of a nearly 2,500-foot section of the span. April 16, 2014
News Release
MADISON, Ind. and MILTON, Ken. – A week after the historic slide of the Milton-Madison Bridge, traffic will again flow across the Ohio River span that connects Milton, Ky. and Madison, Ind. via U.S. Highway 421. Weather permitting, the bridge will be reopened to all motorists at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 17.
Spanning nearly a half mile, the truss of the Milton-Madison Bridge is the longest bridge in North America – and perhaps the world – to be slid laterally into place. It was slid 55 feet from temporary piers onto refurbished piers. The 30-million pound new steel truss bridge is 2,428-feet long and 40-feet wide with two 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders – twice as wide as the old bridge. A 5-foot-wide cantilevered sidewalk will be added to the structure and open this summer. The original Milton-Madison Bridge opened in 1929.
There will be additional work following the reopening, which includes completion of the pier caps, removal of the temporary piers, installation of measures to protect the refurbished piers and some painting. As a result, the bridge is still considered a work zone and has a speed limit of 20 miles per hour. Drivers will also encounter some occasional lane shifts. Motorists are urged to proceed with caution while the bridge remains an active work zone.
Source: The Milton-Madison Bridge