Dubois County Road 600 West to Close 60 Days for Bridge Rehabilitation

Bridge No. 78 on County Road 600 West will close as soon as April 8, shutting down the only Patoka River crossing in that corridor for up to 60 days and forcing Hall Township farmers at the start of planting season, school bus dispatchers, and emergency responders to reroute through western Dubois County before construction is expected to wrap sometime in late May or early June.

The Dubois County Highway Department awarded the rehabilitation contract to Blankenberger Brothers, Inc., which submitted the low bid. The firm will restore the bridge's deck, guardrail, and approach conditions to current safety standards. Built in 1969 and carrying agricultural, commuter, and emergency-service traffic for more than five decades with limited rehabilitation, Bridge No. 78 has needed this level of work for some time.

The closure begins immediately south of the intersection of CR 600 W and Division Road. That intersection stays open, and residents north of the bridge retain access up to the construction limits. Through traffic across the Patoka River on CR 600 W is blocked entirely for the project's duration. The county will post detour signage, and drivers should expect occasional single-lane restrictions at alternate locations as the work proceeds.

The window between the county's announcement and the April 8 start date is less than a week, leaving little time for logistics adjustments. Operators running farm equipment between properties on either side of the Patoka River corridor should identify alternate crossings now. School bus routes serving CR 600 W should be adjusted before the closure takes effect; dispatchers and drivers should confirm new routing with Dubois County schools immediately. The Dubois County Highway Department is the primary contact for route guidance and project updates. Anyone moving through the construction corridor should observe posted speed reductions and respect flagger instructions.

Dubois County officials are coordinating with local emergency services to manage response-time impacts during the closure. In a rural corridor where Bridge No. 78 serves as the direct crossing, detours add meaningful miles for ambulances and fire apparatus, making pre-coordination with Hall Township first responders a critical piece of the county's planning.

The project is part of a broader push to clear a bridge maintenance backlog that accumulated after a harsh winter, with Community Crossings funding helping prioritize the work this season. A structure built in 1969 and carrying the weight of an active agricultural corridor for 57 years without major rehabilitation had reached the point where a full deck and substructure overhaul was the only responsible path forward. Blankenberger Brothers is already in scheduling mode with the start date less than a week away.