Sherman Minton Bridge Contract Awarded, Repair Work to Begin Soon

A Louisville-based company has won the contracting to repair the Sherman Minton Bridge, and work could begin this week.Hall Contracting submitted a bid to repair the bridge in 135 days at a cost of $13.9 million. Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Will Wingfield says there are some final details to iron out, but Hall will be cleared to work tomorrow."They will be gearing up," says Wingfield. "They'll need to mobilize equipment, bring in the steel that probably is just now being ordered. All of that will take a little bit of time. That should be included in their 135-day estimate."The federal government will cover $3.4 million of the cost. The rest will be split between the states, with each paying just over $5 million. Some of that expense could be reimbursed with federal funds."Federal funds outside of special grants are on a reimbursement basis," says Wingfield. "So INDOT and KYTC move forward under all federal standards and could be reimbursed 80-90 percent of their costs."The bridge has been closed for over a month. The repairs will consist of installing new steel on the bridge ties.Hall Contracting will receive an additional $100,000 for every day they finish ahead of schedule.