Badly damaged I-465 bridge reopens after crash repairs

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A bridge over Interstate 465 in Indianapolis has fully reopened to traffic less than four months after its beams were badly damaged when hit by a semitrailer's load.

Barriers were removed Monday from the Rockville Road/U.S. 36 bridge on the city's west side after a ceremony marking the completion of repair work. State highway commissioner Joe McGuinness credited contractors for completing repairs in time to have the route heavily used by Indianapolis Motor Speedway traffic ready before May's racing events begin.

Crews had to replace four 125-foot-long beams after a truck carrying heavy equipment struck bridge girders on Jan. 10 and knocked down chunks of concrete. Some debris injured a motorist by crashing through a car windshield and a section of I-465 was closed for more than a day.