10. Virginia Avenue Bridge

Donated by: Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
Original Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Year Built: 1973
Fractured from truck collision in February 2013
Girders replaced on September 30, 2013
Donated to SBRITE: February 2014

Structure Type: Deck Girder Bridge
Main Span Length: 155 ft
Deck Width: 64 ft 6 in
Number of Spans: 1

The Virginia Avenue Bridge was built in 1973 and carries traffic over I-65/I-70 northbound and southbound lanes in Indianapolis, Indiana. The bridge originally had a clearance of 13 feet, 11 inches. The bridge had been hit more than 70 times in the years preceding the bridge clearance improvement work. The collisions were caused by drivers improperly securing loads, lacking proper permits, and/or not following permitted routes. These repeated collisions with oversized truck loads posed a safety concern. On February 22, 2013, a semi carrying a cherry picker hit the Northbound Virginia Avenue Bridge, fracturing the fascia girder in two locations, necessitating emergency repairs.

In 2013, INDOT decided to increase the vertical clearances below 8 bridges (including the Virginia Avenue Bridge) along I-65/I-70 South Split in order to reduce the number of oversized vehicles hitting the bridges. In order to increase the vertical clearance, the pavement below the Virginia Avenue Bridge was lowered and the fascia girders were replaced.