Engineers could finish their inspection of the closed Sherman Minton Bridge in a week or so. The Interstate 64 span was shut down by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels on September 9th after a structural crack was discovered.The crack, which dates back to the 1960s when the bridge was built, has been fixed. Officials said last week that inspectors are on track to finish examining the bridge soon. They will then determine the extent of the repair job, but say the bridge won't have to be replaced. Kathy Eaton-McKalip with the Indiana Department of Transportation says her agency is bracing for all possible outcomes. "We are planning for a transition for a longer-term closure, if required. We want to be proactive and not reactive on this. So we want to be prepared for anything that may get thrown at us," she said last week. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood visited the bridge Friday. City, state and federal elected officials have personally lobbied President Obama for help getting the bridge reopened quickly.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.