Lower deck of Sherman Minton Bridge could reopen in upcoming days

Crews are working to reopen the lower deck of the Sherman Minton Bridge to two-way traffic in the coming days, according to a release from the bridge renewal project.

The bridge was closed in both directions Wednesday night after crews found a problem with a bearing and a pier supporting the upper deck that was not previously visible, according to the release from spokesperson Ed Green. The crews have presented a repair plan, but they are waiting on engineers with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Indiana Department of Transportation to approve them.

"The pier in question is located on land in an area where the approaches for upper and lower decks come together on the Kentucky side of the bridge. The pier supports the approach and does not support the river crossing," the release said.

The lower deck of the bridge can carry two lanes of traffic eastbound into Kentucky and one lane westbound into Southern Indiana. The upper deck, which was already partially closed for work, had been carrying one lane of westbound traffic.

The release did not offer an estimated time for when the upper deck will reopen.

The renewal team is advising people to use Interstates 265 and 65 as alternate routes.

The total closure comes as the bridge is in the third phase of the Sherman Minton Renewal project, a measure meant to extend the life of the bridge.

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Reach reporter Caleb Wiegandt at cwiegandt@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @CalebWiegandt.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: The lower deck of Sherman Minton Bridge is expected to reopen soon