New Albany business prepares for Sherman Minton Bridge closure

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – Beginning Wednesday, December 14, eastbound lanes of I-64 on the Sherman Minton Bridge will be closed for nine days.

The closure is expected to last until Friday, December 23rd. These lanes connect Louisville and downtown New Albany. Much of the area is already under construction in the Main Street Revitalization project.

“Everybody on Mainstreet is saying foot traffic is hard because it looks like everything is closed,” said Tristan Thompson, head of Tequila and Rye. “People who are not from here and don’t know what’s going on are dangerous and confusing.”

Construction on the $5.5 million project began in September and is expected to be completed by August 2023.

The Main Street Revitalization project isn’t the only one taking clients to detour to downtown New Albany. Construction of the Sherman Minton Bridge will close eastbound lanes of I-64. This creates more hurdles for businesses in the region.

“When our team members are trying to provide support and have a problem, they’re hours away,” Thompson said. “They’re having to make a long detour to get to work, and we’re trying to be patient with that.”

Efforts to extend the life of the 59-year-old bridge are making it harder for employees to commute to and from work. Now, some of them are looking for other employment opportunities.

“Having to hear these people that I’ve fallen in love with say, ‘I might have to get another job or something,'” Thompson said. “It hurts. I’m doing everything I can to keep everyone on , because I don’t want to lose any guests or anyone else.”

During the I-64 eastbound closure, the I-64 eastbound on-ramp at West Spring Street and the I-64 eastbound to I-264 eastbound on-ramp will be closed.

When eastbound is closed, suggested alternate routes are I-265 and I-65. Area traffic signs and variable message boards will be posted in project areas in advance to notify motorists of closures and alternate routes.

Traffic bypassing I-265 will not be able to cross the Sherman Minton Bridge. This traffic will be directed to merge onto West 5th Street in New Albany and use the local street system to enter I-64 westbound, then continue to I-265 and designated alternate routes.

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