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Last updated on Monday, January 28, 2013
(NEWBERRY) - State Road 57 South will be closed for two days in early February, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has announced.
INDOT said the closure is necessary to conduct maintenance repairs to the existing White River and White River Overflow bridge structures near Newberry.
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, contractor's crews will close S.R. 57 from State Road 54 near Switz City (Lighthouse Junction) to State Road 58 in Elnora.
The bridges are located approximately 7.0 miles south of S.R. 54.
Work will begin at about 7 a.m. on Feb. 5 and the roadway is anticipated to be re-opened to traffic by 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7, according to Cher Elliott, INDOT spokesperson for Vincennes District.
"The maintenance work being performed will allow the existing bridge structures to remain open during the construction of the new bridges later this summer. The existing structures will remain one-lane and controlled by signals during this time," Elliott stated in a prepared news release.
In August, INDOT announced plans to construct a new $15.5 million State Road 57 bridge over the west fork of the White River, with work to start in the spring of 2013.
Plans call for one longer, modern bridge to replace two aged truss-type bridges located north of Newberry, which were built in 1940.
The new bridge, at 1,547 feet and six inches, will be more than 600 feet longer than the current 920-foot span. The new structure will have a total width of 35 feet.
The existing 410-foot-long overflow bridge structure will be removed during the project.
The twin bridges have been restricted to one lane with a 14-ton weight limit since late 2009, when engineers became concerned about the fast aging of the bridge structures over the White River and an overflow ditch.
The span bridges have been under close watch and scrutiny from INDOT officials for a number of years.
This closure is dependent upon weather. Snow, ice or flooding could postpone and/or delay the closure, Elliott added.
No through vehicle traffic will be allowed on S.R. 57 during this time; however local residents will have access to the point of closure.
All lanes of traffic will be closed at the bridges.
The official detour will route traffic using S.R. 54, S.R. 67, S.R. 59 and S.R. 58.
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