AASHTO Journal, 11 September 2015
A heavily traveled bridge on northbound Interstate 65 near Lafayette, Ind., which was closed after sinking several inches during some construction work over Wildcat Creek, was reopened to traffic the night of Sept. 6 after being closed since Aug. 7.
That was a week or more ahead of the mid-September reopening schedule the Indiana Department of Transportation had projected based on contractor’s repair estimates. And it eliminated a 37-mile detour just in time for Labor Day traffic.
Gov. Mike Pence said he was grateful for INDOT’s “around-the-clock efforts to reopen the interstate ahead of schedule.” The governor added: “We appreciate the patience of citizens in communities that have been affected. Construction in this area and others is ongoing and we urge motorists to be mindful as they travel our highways.”
The Indianapolis Star said the detour along state and U.S. highways to get around the bridge closure recently lasted up to an hour, but had been as long as four hours early on.
As earlier reported, the bridge sank after crews working on an I-65 widening project pierced water-tight soils to a sandy layer beneath a bridge pier, causing it to tilt. Engineers monitoring the project noticed the pier settling and tilting, and ordered the bridge closed.
The repair utilized deeply drilled “micropiles” of steel rods and grout.
INDOT said it, the Federal Highway Administration and engineering consultants reviewed the repair plans and inspected the construction to ensure the repairs were safe. Sensors will remain in place at the site for regular monitoring of both the northbound and southbound bridges at Wildcat Creek.
