LAWRENCE COUNTY — Local motorists will have to navigate ongoing detours a bit longer than expected. The Lawrence County Highway Department announced that the highly anticipated bridge deck overlay projects on Stars Boulevard and Boone Hollow Road have hit unexpected delays due to extreme summer heat and scheduling conflicts over the holiday weekend.
The county had originally planned to pour the protective epoxy polymer concrete on both bridge structures this week. However, Mother Nature and holiday logistics forced a change of plans.
Faced with this week’s soaring daytime temperatures, highway officials and project contractors determined that pouring the concrete under the blistering sun would compromise the structural integrity of the bridges. High heat creates a significant risk that the concrete will dry out too rapidly before workers can apply the necessary protective burlap layers, severely degrading the critical curing process.
To beat the heat, the department decided to switch to a nighttime pouring schedule. However, due to the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend, the contractor was unable to reschedule a concrete delivery truck any sooner than Tuesday, July 7th, at 1:00 a.m.
Once the epoxy polymer concrete is successfully poured, the bridge overlays require a strict seven-day curing window to reach maximum strength. By engineering standards, the concrete must be kept continuously wet for five days and then allowed two additional days to dry completely.
A New Timeline for Opening
Barring any further weather or logistical setbacks, the updated project timeline is as follows:
- Tuesday, July 7th (1:00 a.m.): Overnight concrete pour begins.
- July 7th – July 14th: Mandatory seven-day concrete curing and drying window.
- Mid-July: Final structural inspections and immediate repair of any identified deficiencies.
- Tuesday, July 14th: The Highway Department tentatively schedules both bridges to officially reopen to traffic.
Improving Communication for Future Closures
The simultaneous closures have put an extra burden on local commuters, particularly with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) currently shutting down State Road 58 near the Sherwood Oaks Church.
County highway officials expressed sincere apologies for the compounding gridlock and travel inconveniences caused by the overlapping Stars Boulevard and State Road 58 closures. Moving forward, the Lawrence County Highway Department noted it is actively building a more streamlined communication process with INDOT regarding upcoming state projects and regional road closures so local crews can plan county maintenance schedules more efficiently.
