When Will I-65 North Bridge Reopen? Who Knows?

Indiana Department of Transportation officials say there’s no telling when the closed I-65 northbound bridge over Wildcat Creek in Tippecanoe County will reopen.

At a press conference Monday afternoon, INDOT Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson said weekend soil testing led only to a request for additional testing, and not to a possible solution for fixing the bridge, which officials say sank nine inches between reopening last Wednesday and closing a second time on Friday.

INDOT Director of Bridges Anne Rearick defended the temporary fix put in place to reopen the bridge last week, even though it was ultimately unsuccessful.

“I wouldn’t say that the fix was the inappropriate fix. The construction issues may have contributed to what caused the second closure. What was going on – timeline – would have contributed to settlement," Rearick said.

Agency officials say they believe work by a contractor widening I-65 in the area possibly disrupted an underground water feature, causing part of the bridge pier to sink nine inches.

Reached by phone Monday, the construction firm, Walsh Group, declined comment.