WSJD 100.5

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U.S. 41 Pigeon Creek Bridge Review Process Under Way

Chandler Madden

VANDERBURGH COUNTY, Ind. –  An extensive review of the U.S. 41 Pigeon Creek Bridge in Evansville is nearing the finish line as the Indiana Department of Transportation begins the final steps in the process.

In January, 2020, an over-sized load struck the truss bridge on U.S. 41 spanning Pigeon Creek causing extensive damage that left the bridge unable to carry traffic. Since that time, INDOT has performed an extremely in-depth review to determine the next steps. To date, officials have completed or are in process of completing the following:

  • A detailed inspection of the bridge has been performed to determine damage. The inspection showed the bridge sustained a significant amount of damage and cannot carry traffic in its current state.

  • A Damage Assessment Report is under review. This document includes a summary of the condition of the superstructure components of the bridge.

  • Historic Bridge Process (part of Section 106 process) is underway as the structure’s historic status must be evaluated as a part of determining next steps. This includes a Historic Bridge Alternative Analysis, which is currently under development

  • Active solicitation of all stakeholders and consulting parties is being performed. These parties include but are not limited to local government representatives, county and state historians, DNR, and historic landmarks commissions. A total of 21 different parties have been approached as a part of this process.

  • A Life Cycle Cost Analysis is under review by INDOT to compare alternative costs of repair vs. replacement.

No official timeline has been announced at this time. Once all the information has been gathered, INDOT officials expect to make a decision about the Pigeon Creek Bridge’s fate shortly thereafter. Once that step has been taken, the project can move forward with planning and design phases.

About the Pigeon Creek Bridge Project

The U.S. 41 Pigeon Creek Bridge was built in 1940. INDOT contractors completed a rehabilitation of the truss bridge in the fall of 2019. In January 2020, a truck carrying an over-sized load struck the bridge after its lead vehicle allegedly missed a turn. INDOT bridge inspection teams were immediately dispatched and after an initial inspection made the decision to close the bridge based on the amount of damage the bridge sustained. Traffic was diverted to Diamond Avenue via a temporary “runaround.”

A more thorough inspection was conducted later which determined the bridge sustained damage to most of the major structural components. Once that inspection was completed INDOT launched into the current process to determine the next steps for the 80-year-old structure.

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