The 59 year-old Lowell Road Bridge just northwest of downtown Columbus is set to be replaced.
Bartholomew County Highway Engineer David Hollander says the bridge is structurally sound but Lowell Road is too narrow.
“That’s caused by the huge increase in traffic we’ve seen in the past five or six years.”
Hollander says Lowell Road is often used by drivers as a bypass connecting State Road 46 to U.S. 31. He says the road will also be improved to accommodate heavier traffic.
The project is expected to cost $2.5 million. Bartholomew County commissioners will pay $500,000 and have applied for a federal grant to help fund the remaining cost.
If the funds are approved by 2023, construction will likely begin during 2024.