Morgantown bridge opens a month early

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MORGANTOWN — The main northern artery to Brown County, blocked since April 22, is open again.

The Indian Creek bridge just south of Morgantown on State Road 135 North reopened June 10 at 7:15 a.m., a month ahead of schedule.

The Indiana Department of Transportation had given contractor OLCO Inc. of Batesville 45 days to acquire materials and finish the project. OLCO finished in 16 days.

Nic Wonnell, vice president of operations at OLCO, said the company was able to acquire materials and drawings in about 10 days, which could normally take up to a month.

OLCO crews worked long days and through weekends to finish the project early, Wonnell said.

They replaced two overhead sway pieces and two vertical supports that were damaged when a large vehicle drove through the iron-truss bridge in Octobe, INDOT spokesman Harry Maginity said. OLCO also placed two large U-bolts as part of repair work unrelated to the accident.

OLCO’s contract with INDOT gave additional money for each day the project was completed early, which allowed the company to justify paying overtime, Wonnell said.

Now that this bridge is open, the intersection of Lick Creek Road and State Road 45 will close on or after Monday, June 20, Maginity said. Drivers on Lick Creek will have no access to State Road 45.

A different crew is replacing a bridge over Lick Creek which is requiring total removal of a portion of State Road 45. But while the Morgantown bridge was closed, they were allowing drivers to use the intersection of State Road 45 and Lick Creek as a north-south detour.

The Lick Creek-45 intersection will be closed until the State Road 45 bridge project is finished. That date is now estimated at mid-to-late October.

 

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