The Milton-Madison Bridge over the Ohio River is undergoing a $103 million replacement project.

(Madison, Ind.) - A major step will be taken this summer in the project to replace the Milton-Madison Bridge over the Ohio River.

The U.S. 421 Bridge is undergoing a $103 million upgrade that began two years ago. Currently, a new 2,427 foot long bridge span is being built on temporary piers.

In mid-July after the current bridge has been disassembled, the new span will be slid into place onto the old, rehabilitated piers, projects engineers recently announced. The date of the “slide” is dependent on weather.

“Project officials considered sliding the bridge this spring, but that would have made it necessary to pour the concrete bridge deck in the winter, which is a more complex process. Instead, they plan to pour the deck this spring and slide the truss this summer. The new bridge will open in the weeks following the slide,” a news release from project managers said.

Several crucial steps must take place before the slide can occur, including:

-Completion of the new bridge road deck, expected to take place this spring when concrete pouring conditions are best.

-The shift of traffic from the existing bridge to the new bridge which is sitting on temporary piers.

-Removal of the old truss – or upper steel portion of the existing bridge.

-Completion of pier rehabilitation with the addition of wider pier caps to accommodate the new 40-foot-wide bridge – twice the width of the old bridge.  

The latest information on the Milton-Madison Bridge project can be found at www.miltonmadisonbridge.com.