FLOYD COUNTY, IN (October 9, 2023) – Floyd County government officials have scheduled a public hearing involving Bridge 51, which carries Blackiston Mill Road over Silver Creek, and connects Clarksville to Floyd County. The purpose of the hearing is being held to meet an Indiana Department of Transportation requirement of providing the results of an Environmental Assessment to the public and allowing public comment/questions. That hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 11th at 6:00pm in the Prosser Career Education Center, located at 4202 Charlestown Road in New Albany.
The bridge, which is owned and maintained by Floyd County, has undergone several emergency repairs in recent years including the placement of large steel panels on the bridge deck where the roadway has deteriorated. Bridge 51 is scheduled to replaced with the anticipated start of construction being September 2025. Detailed information about the project is posted on the Floyd County Government website, including the following section about the need and purpose of the project:
Need: The need for this project is a result of the deteriorated condition of Structure No. 22-00051, NBI No. 2200050. Based on the Bridge Inspection Report, dated March 27, 2021, the bridge wearing surface and substructure have a condition rating of 4 (poor) out of 9 (excellent), the deck has a condition rating of 6 (satisfactory) out of 9, the superstructure has a condition rating of 7 (good) out of 9, and the channel has a condition rating of 5 (fair) out of 9. The bridge deck exhibits hairline cracks and efflorescence. The wearing surface exhibits cracks and holes in the pavement throughout. The substructure exhibits open joints between stones and erosion behind the northwest, northeast, and southwest wingwalls. The northwest approach to the bridge has a steep vertical profile grade and substandard horizontal curve. The bridge is narrow does not include pedestrian or bicycle accessibility (no protected or identified ped or bike lane). The bridge and approaches are considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. The southeast approach to the bridge is below the existing bridge structure; therefore, the area and bridge floods frequently due to backwater from the Ohio River, causing the road and bridge to be closed to traffic. (The latest flooding event occurred in February 2018 with the high water reaching an approximate elevation of 440 feet (ft.) Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL), with the roadway low point elevation at 433 ft. AMSL.) The excerpt of the Inspection Report is located in Appendix I, pages I-1 to I-14.
Purpose: The purpose of the project is to provide safe connectivity for pedestrian access, provide increased accessibility for vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic on Blackiston Mill Rd. and bridge, address the flooding of the southeast approach to the bridge, and to provide a structure with a rating of 8 (very good) or better.
Federal and local funds will be used to cover the estimated $6.6 Million project. That project cost includes engineering, property acquisition, and construction. You can read the project report in its entirety by clicking here. You can also find the announcement of the public hearing on the Floyd County Government website at https://www.floydcounty.in.gov/.
