Twelve large, concrete beams are scheduled to be delivered and set this week, for the third and final bridge being constructed as part of Section 3 of the Interstate-69 Ohio River Crossing (ORX), between Henderson, Ky. and Evansville.
The concrete beams, which will be used fo the Evansville approach, range in length from 134 feet to 163 feet long. Four beams are expected to be delivered Tuesday through Thursday, with one beam transported per truck. Beams will be delivered in the afternoon and set the next day. Beam delivery and setting is expected to begin Tuesday, Dec. 16 and continue through Friday, Dec. 19.
The final 32 beams for the bridge and this project are expected to be delivered over a two-week period early next year.
As beams are delivered, two short-term rolling closures lasting about five to 10 minutes each are expected on U.S. 41 to allow delivery vehicles to safely make the left turn from southbound U.S. 41 to Waterworks Road (about ½ mile north of the U.S. 41 bridges). Deliveries are anticipated between 1 and 4 p.m. The beams are being delivered from Decatur, Ind.
Message boards along U.S. 41 will remind drivers of these closures. The schedule may be adjusted due to the weather and is subject to change.
Three approach bridges are being built in Evansville. The substructure includes steel piles and piers that support the bridge’s superstructure. The superstructure includes beams and bridge decks.
The 84 beams for the first approach bridge, which is nearly 4,000 feet long, were set this summer. The first of three concrete pours for the bridge deck occurred in November. The remaining two pours have not been scheduled. Each of the overnight pours lasts about 12 hours and requires around 170 truckloads of concrete.
The 48 beams for a second approach bridge were delivered and set in November. The deck for that bridge will be poured next year.
The approach bridges mark the path to the future I-69 bridge. They will provide all-weather access for crews to build the I-69 bridge. The approach bridges and roadways in Evansville will open to traffic after completion of the bridge, currently estimated to be in 2031.
Construction on ORX Section 3 is expected to be 60 percent complete by the end of this year and is scheduled to be completed by late 2026.
A bridge beam that will be part of the I-69 ORX bridge in Evansville, Ind.
