Officials said they aren't sure when the Madison-Milton bridge will reopen after its emergency closure Tuesday morning, but they said it's not likely to happen until after the bridge slide onto the permanent piers is completed.
A steel bearing fell off of the bridge early in the morning, which caused crews to close the structure over safety concerns.
The bearing will need to be replaced before the superstructure slide takes place.
"That bearing was supposed to move along with the bridge," Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Will Wingfield said. Bearings rest between the bridge piers and the superstructure.
Structural engineers from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and subcontractors Buckland & Taylor and Burgess & Niple began assessing the condition of the structure shortly after the accident,
Partial preparations for the bridge slide resumed Tuesday, Wingfield said. A small, concrete bridge section on the Kentucky side of the river is tentatively scheduled to be slid on Thursday.
The steel bearing dislodged from between the first land pier on the Kentucky side of the bridge - what officials call Pier 2 - and the bridge superstructure, KYTC spokeswoman Andrea Clifford said.
The bearing, which allows the bridge to expand and contract from changes in temperature and other factors, detached as a result of preparations for the bridge slide, Wingfield said.
A release from project officials said residents should not be alarmed if there are noises as the bridge expands and contracts because of temperature swings.
A Walsh construction worker, who was injured after being struck by the bearing, was taken to King's Daughters' Hospital in Madison for treatment and was released hours after the incident. The man's injuries were "incredibly minor" because he was wearing proper safety gear, Wingfield said. The worker's name was not released.
Subcontractors installed and modified signs Tuesday to detour traffic to the Markland Locks and Dam Bridge about 26 miles upstream, which connects KY 1039 and Indiana State Road 101, or to the Interstate 65 crossing at the Kennedy Bridge in Louisville, which is 46 miles downstream.
A ferry service planned to transport emergency vehicles across the river is in route to the area from Cincinnati, the release said. Service is expected to begin tonight.
Until then, Trimble County Emergency Medical Services will transport patients to Carroll County Memorial Hospital in Carrollton, Ky., Baptist Health in LaGrange, Ky., or Louisville-area hospitals.
The Milton boat ramp will be closed to the public during the bridge closure, and residents are asked to stay away from the temporary Ferry Street landing in Madison to allow access for emergency vehicles.
Tuesday's closure marked the fourth charged closure day on the bridge since the project began, the release said. Walsh's contract for the project allows for 10 closure days before any damages will be assessed against the company.
Any decision to reopen the bridge will be based on the safety of travelers, the release said.
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