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MADISON, IND. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined Congressman Baron Hill, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Kentucky Governor Steven Beshear, and other state and local officials on Nov. 30 in breaking ground on the Milton-Madison bridge replacement project, which received a $20 million grant earlier this year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program.

The project will replace the Milton-Madison bridge (US 421), a vital link between two economically distressed communities — Milton, Ky., and Madison, Ind.

Current weight restrictions on the Milton-Madison bridge have limited freight movement on the US 421 corridor. Originally constructed in 1929, the existing bridge is in poor condition and is outdated by today's standards. An estimated 10,700 vehicles cross the bridge each day, and its serviceable life is estimated to be less than 10 years. If the bridge were to be taken out of service, residents on both sides of the river would suffer tremendous hardship, including increased commuting costs as the result of detours.

Recovery Act funds will go toward a $103.7 million contract for the construction of the new bridge and the rehabilitation of existing piers. The contractor will use innovative methods to construct the new bridge on temporary piers and then slide the entire bridge into place on the rehabilitated piers. This approach will reduce the time needed to close the bridge for construction to less than a month.

To read more about this project, click here.