The trucking sector and companies shipping full truckload freight through Indiana awaits new developments concerning a recurring closure on Interstate 65 near Lafayette, Indiana due to issues with the interstate highway bridge over Wildcat Creek. This week saw a second round of emergency closures to the interstate as officials wait for the results of soil testing before taking their next steps.
The delays in the area have been impactful with trucks and other vehicles tasked with navigating a detour that is 52 miles in length for an alternate route around the creek. The bridge may be closed again in the future until the State highway commissioner confirms the best course of action. Initial reports are that construction and repairs could take as long as four to six weeks.
Unlike some other interstate issues, this problem was not caused by the age of the structure but rather by steps being undertaken to improve and widen I-65 to six lanes about 50 miles from Indianapolis. It's believed that contractors may have damaged a water feature causing part of the bridge's pier structure to sink almost a foot at the beginning of August.
In the meantime, new steel supports have been added to the bridge but the initial complications to the structural stability of the bridge are turning out to be more pronounced than were at first expected. More information is expected in the days ahead and we'll update you when we learn more.
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