Bridges & Tunnels Updates

[seicer]

The Sherman Minton Bridge, which carries Interstate 64 and US Route 150 over the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky, and New Albany, Indiana, has fully reopened after a multi-year rehabilitation.

Completed in 1962, the double-deck steel through-arch bridge was named for Sherman Minton, a New Albany native and former U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice.

In September 2011, inspectors discovered structural steel deficiencies and cracking linked to the original use of T1 steel, known for its susceptibility to cracking. The bridge was closed for several months for repairs before reopening in February 2012. A more extensive rehabilitation from 2021 to 2024 has extended the bridge's lifespan by an estimated 30 years.

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[seicer]

An evening flight in Garfield Park, Indianapolis

It was a calm and pleasant spring evening—an ideal time to fly the drone and capture the beauty of my neighborhood in Garfield Park in south-central Indianapolis.

There was no better place to begin than the front yard. About fifteen years ago, the previous homeowner planted a Weeping Yoshino Flowering Cherry (Prunus pendula). Since then, it has grown into a mature tree, producing delicate pink blossoms each April. Its annual display brings a vivid burst of color to an otherwise typical neighborhood street, marking the arrival of spring.

1 Weeping Yoshino Flowering Cherry (Prunus pendula)



2 Weeping Yoshino Flowering Cherry (Prunus pendula)



3 Weeping Yoshino Flowering Cherry (Prunus pendula)



4 Weeping Yoshino Flowering Cherry (Prunus pendula)



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Ascending a bit higher, I flew the drone toward the edges of Garfield Park—the oldest city park in Indianapolis. Established in the 1870s, it was formally named in honor of President James A. Garfield following his assassination in 1881. Initially intended as a suburban recreational area, the park gradually became a major cultural and horticultural landmark. In the early 20th century, landscape architect George Edward Kessler redesigned the grounds as part of his broader Park and Boulevard Plan for the city, introducing formal gardens, fountains, a conservatory, and other notable features.

In July 2024, a major renovation project began on the park's historic Sunken Garden fountains. Funded in part by a $5.5 million investment from the Lilly Endowment, the project includes restoring the century-old fountains and improving the nearby Pagoda. The Friends of Garfield Park have played a key role, raising substantial funds toward their $1.4 million goal. Construction and testing are expected to continue through September 2025.

This restoration represents a joint effort between city officials and community organizations to preserve and revitalize one of Indianapolis's most treasured public spaces. Today, Garfield Park remains a vital part of the city, celebrated for its historic architecture, art deco features, and commitment to community programming.

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I concluded with a final view of Raymond Street, once intended to serve as an east-west expressway cutting through the heart of the neighborhood.

In 1962, city planners proposed the Raymond Street Expressway to connect Weir Cook Municipal Airport (now Indianapolis International Airport) on the west side to Interstate 74 on the east. The plan called for new interchanges, widened roadways, and newly constructed bridges along the corridor. Despite its scope, the project was never fully realized. Some sections of Raymond Street were improved, but the expressway was never fully completed. Today, the road reflects this incomplete vision—part expressway through the Near Southeast and West Indianapolis neighborhoods, and part urban boulevard through Garfield Park. While it connects to the Sam Jones Expressway on the west side, it ends at Southeastern Avenue on the east, falling short of its planned connection to Interstate 74.

There remains an opportunity to reconsider Raymond Street's role in the urban landscape. Though it carries a substantial volume of traffic, particularly truck traffic, it could evolve into a more unified and community-friendly boulevard rather than a disjointed corridor. With limited funding available for road maintenance on a per-lane-mile basis, the city might benefit from reallocating resources, enhancing the more heavily traveled segments while reimagining underutilized portions for improved public use.

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From blooming cherry trees to century-old gardens and dividing roadways, the evening flight offered a layered view of a neighborhood shaped by both history and hope for revitalization.

[seicer]

A River Crossed: The Washington Street Bridge and the National Road

The Washington Street Bridge in Indianapolis has long served as a key crossing over the White River, tracing its origins to the early days of the National Road—the first federally funded highway in the United States. The first bridge at this location, a two-span covered structure completed in 1833, replaced a ferry service and supported westward expansion through the new state capital. Over the next several decades, the bridge was rebuilt multiple times, evolving from timber to iron to steel. Each iteration reflected advances in engineering, yet each faced its own challenges, including structural failure and catastrophic flooding. The most devastating of these events occurred during the Great Flood of 1913, which destroyed the existing span and called for a more durable solution.

Completed in 1916, the current bridge is a seven-span closed-spandrel concrete arch structure designed with longevity and flood resilience in mind. It carried vehicular and interurban traffic until the 1980s, when plans for White River State Park prompted a rethinking of its role. Public opposition to demolition led to its preservation, and by 1997, it had been fully converted into a pedestrian thoroughfare. Today, the Washington Street Bridge serves as both a functional path and a historical landmark, linking visitors to the city's early infrastructure and its enduring relationship with the White River.

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[seicer]

Deconstructing the Madison Avenue Expressway

By the early 1950s, Indianapolis faced persistent traffic congestion on its south side, particularly along Madison Avenue, which was frequently obstructed by rail traffic. In response, the Indiana State Highway Commission proposed the Madison Avenue Expressway in 1952, aiming to reduce delays by depressing the roadway beneath two major rail lines. Approved shortly thereafter, the project was initially estimated at $3 million but ultimately exceeded $8 million due to design revisions, construction delays, and a major scandal involving profiteering in land acquisitions. The expressway opened in phases between September and October 1958, though it failed to qualify for the federal interstate system due to its at-grade intersections and saw limited relief in traffic congestion.

Despite its high cost, the expressway soon faced operational issues, including reduced travel speeds and parking in travel lanes, which were not banned until 1959. Legal challenges also followed; in 1964, the Indiana Supreme Court upheld a substantial compensation award for property owners who lost highway access. Though plans were approved to extend the expressway southward to Greenwood, the extension was never built.

Today, the City of Indianapolis is moving forward with a $16.2 million reconstruction project on Madison Avenue, part of a broader $47 million initiative to enhance safety and multimodal access. Scheduled to begin in 2025 and conclude by 2026, the project will reduce travel lanes, add pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure—including a new segment of the Interurban Trail—and install updated sidewalks and curbs. Funded through federal grants and guided by the city's "Complete Streets" policy, the effort represents a shift toward more inclusive and sustainable urban transportation.

[seicer]

Tracing the History of U.S. Route 24 from Genoa, Colorado's Wonder Tower

Passing through the open plains of eastern Colorado, we made a brief stop at one of the state's more peculiar roadside relics: the World's Wonder View Tower. From here, you can trace the evolution of American travel—layered like sediment across the landscape. Down below, a railroad cuts a sharp line across the prairie. Nearby are the remains of early highway alignments and, farther still, the steady hum of Interstate 70.