Why Didn’t Gov. Pence Address I-65’s Failing Bridge Before Last Week’s Mess?

INDIANAPOLIS – John Zody, Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, issued the following statement in response to Governor Mike Pence’s negligent handling of the crumbling bridge on Interstate 65 in Lafayette.

“It’s been close to a week since structural problems have crippled I-65 travelers, and Hoosiers have heard virutally nothing from their governor. This mess has caused headaches for travelers and is likely to disrupt our state’s economy – and all of these problems could have been prevented if Gov. Pence and the Statehouse GOP had simply listened to repeated calls for adequate investment in our state’s crumbling infrastructure. Add the state’s sluggish revenues reported earlier today as well as Indiana’s slow economic growth – and it is becoming clear that Gov. Pence’s out of touch agenda is not what’s best for Indiana. When will the governor lead on an issue that actually solves today’s problems for Hoosier families? So far, he’s just telling folks that his priority is his ideology.”

For close to a decade, INDOT had repeatedly flagged signs of extensive damage to the Wildcat Creek Bridge. While these inspectors did their part, nothing was done to address the poor conditions of the bridge. On average, close to 24,800 per day vehicles cross this bridge on I-65.