Portion of I-65 in Tippecanoe County set to reopen Thursday
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — A section of northbound I-65 will be closed in Tippecanoe County until Thursday due to a structural issue found on a bridge, according to INDOT officials.
A detour is taking drivers on 52W beginning in Boone County. Northbound I-65 merges to one lane and take drivers onto U.S. 52 at Exit 141, that’s just north of Lebanon. Drivers should then follow U.S. 52 north for 17 miles and turn left at State Road 28. Drivers will stay on SR 28 for 10 miles then will take a right onto U.S. 231 north for about 33 miles until White County where the road intersects with I-65.
INDOT officials say construction crews working on I-65 in the area to expand the lanes noticed unusual movements in the bridge deck and investigated further.
Officials said they found that some of the bridge bearings over Wildcat Creek had fallen out from underneath the bridge deck. They say this was likely caused by the condition of the structure combined with construction taking place in the area.
The bearings help relieve pressure on the bridge caused by expansion and contraction in Indiana’s extreme heat and cold.
Officials immediately closed I-65 northbound near Lafayette in the area Tuesday afternoon, and INDOT bridge inspectors rushed to the site.
Overnight Tuesday, crews made new steel supports for the bridge, and will install those underneath the bridge beams. Crews will then use jacks to lift the bridge into its original elevation.
INDOT says they’re also inspecting and monitoring other bridges along I-65. They say crews may perform additional repairs after the bridge reopens to prevent a recurrence of what happened Tuesday.
For updates on the closure follow INDOT on Twitter or on the web.