MLK bridge contractor to pay state $1.35 million
By Matt Mikus mmikus@post-trib.com January 4, 2013 3:02PM
Trucks and equipment sit on the bridge over I-80/94 on MLK in Gary Monday afternoon. Demolition of the bridge, closed for two years, begins Monday evening. | Jeffrey D. Nicholls~Sun-Times Media
Updated: February 6, 2013 6:01AM
Litigation concerning the Martin Luther King Drive bridge over Interstate 80/94 has been resolved.
Contractor Superior Construction Company disputed liability, but the company and its designer and primary material supplier have agreed to pay Indiana Department of Transportation a total of $1.35 million.
The bridge was closed May 19, 2010, after inspectors found cracks in the bridge’s decking and support beams. The state sued the contractor in 2011 to recover some of the $3.2 million for demolition and rebuilding the bridge, originally built in 2004.
“INDOT was able to recover $1.35 million,” said spokesman Will Wingfield, “and we’re pleased to have the issue resolved and the bridge safely back in service to the public.”
The bridge was demolished and rebuilt and has been open since late October.
