FixFor41 is a $25 million joint Infrastructure project between Indiana and Kentucky that involves rehabilitating seven bridges on U.S. Route 41 and the highway pavement between the bridges from near the U.S. 41 interchange with I-69 in Evansville south to the Indiana/Kentucky border. The construction zone spans 1.4 miles in Indiana and 2.3 miles in Kentucky. Some of the bridges involved are more than 70 years old, and it is expected that once rehabilitated, the lifespan of the bridges and roadway will be extended by 25 years.

Because this stretch of Route 41 is such a heavily trafficked highway, it was determined that two lanes of traffic in each direction must remain open at all times during the project. The solution decided upon was a temporary Acrow detour bridge located over the Cheatam Slough in Evansville, Indiana that is being used as a crossover for various phases of the project. The use of the rental bridge is expected to decrease the project timeline by a full year, allowing for cost savings to both states and far less inconvenience to the public.

The project was unusual in several respects. The 390’ long Acrow rental bridge was specially manufactured to a required non-standard usable width of 26’, and the tight work zone required complex staging work. The Acrow components were on site in August 2017 and will be in place until the completion of the overall project, currently anticipated to be the summer of 2019.

The contractor for the project is E&B Paving, Inc. of Anderson, IN, and the design engineer is Butler Fairman Seufert of Indianapolis, IN.

“Keeping traffic moving at speed is critical to minimize traffic delay costs, especially in a project that involves a busy interstate highway, as was the case with this project,” said Bill Killeen, CEO of Acrow Bridge. “The use of an Acrow rental bridge was a key element in addressing that need. Acrow is a major player in the rental bridge market, which has gained a strong foothold in the highway construction industry for its obvious safety benefits and its ability in helping to ensure the project stays on or ahead of schedule.”