Crews began tearing down the Hazel Dell Parkway bridge, the structure that buckled under the weight of last month's historic Indiana flooding, on Monday, September 21, at the crossing near 106th Street, with officials saying the work must wrap up by October 30.
The timeline comes from Fox 59, which reports that county and city officials met with contractors for a preconstruction conference to hash out next steps, and that equipment was expected to arrive at the bridge site on Friday. High waters from the White River tore away portions of the bridge in August, leaving behind structural instability and sinkholes that made the crossing unsalvageable, according to the same report.
The August flooding was extraordinary. Forecasters would later designate the storm a 1,000-year rainfall event.
A Total Loss for Hamilton County
Hamilton County is responsible for replacing the bridge.
Replacing the span is expected to cost $10 million, according to Engineering News-Record. Hamilton County is working on a permanent design for the replacement bridge. Demolition is scheduled while officials continue work on that design.
Federal Money Arrives as Damage Assessments Continue
The same Engineering News-Record report puts federal aid for flood-damaged roads and bridges in Indiana at $26 million. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2027, according to The Reporter.
The flood's reach went well beyond the bridge deck itself. Floodwaters severed a 30-inch raw water pipe and knocked three city water wells out of service while threatening a main sewer line, according to Reporter Times. A temporary connection was made to the water system.
Reversed Creek, National Guard Sandbags, and a Shuttered Park
At the height of the flooding, rushing water reversed the flow of Blue Woods Creek and diverted an estimated 9 billion gallons into the nearby Martin Marietta quarry, prompting National Guard Black Hawk helicopters to drop 2,000-pound sandbags to build protective dams, according to WTHR. The surge into the quarry created temporary waterfalls and idled dozens of quarry workers.
Hazel Landing Park remains closed.
Carmel is considering how to reroute the creek. Traffic must detour around the closed crossing.
The disruption arrives as Hamilton County pushes forward on other major work nearby. Commissioners awarded a $39.9 million contract to Carmel-based Gradex on September 15 for a separate roundabout interchange project at 146th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway, aimed at easing congestion along the Carmel-Noblesville border even as the flood-damaged crossing to the south sits torn apart.
