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INDOT: Damaged Evansville Bridge to be Replaced

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State transportation officials plan to replace a damaged 80-year-old bridge on Highway 41 in Evansville. 

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INDOT says the green, steel truss bridge on southbound 41 near Diamond Avenue will be replaced next year.

A truck carrying an oversized load hit the bridge in January, putting it out of commission for all of 2020.

Since then, southbound traffic has been shifted to a Diamond Avenue exit ramp.

In a release, INDOT said data from its investigation supports replacement as a more fiscally responsible option than repairing the existing structure.

Officials said a new bridge will reduce maintenance costs and the lower the risk of a future bridge strike because a modern span would not have a height restriction.

The decision means the current traffic shift will continue for several more months.

The bridge over Pigeon Creek was built in 1940.

The estimated cost of a new bridge is $10 million.