Floodwaters close State Road 145 in Perry and Dubois counties
Floodwater shut State Road 145 between Interstate 64 and State Road 64, cutting a key Perry-Dubois travel link. Drivers were told to avoid the stretch until conditions improved.
Floodwaters shut down State Road 145 between Interstate 64 and State Road 64 on May 20, closing a key route that runs through both Perry and Dubois counties and forcing drivers to find another way around the water-covered pavement.
The closure hit a road many residents use for work trips, school runs, store trips and local deliveries, especially in the rural stretch that links small communities across county lines. Officials urged motorists to stay away from the closed section rather than try to cross standing water, which can hide damage and make a roadway unsafe even when the surface looks passable.
No timetable was given for reopening the road, leaving the closure dependent on how quickly floodwaters receded and the pavement could be checked. Drivers looking for the latest status were directed to Indiana Department of Transportation’s live restrictions and closings updates, which track current road conditions, closures and construction across the state.
The shutdown came during a broader flood-risk period in southern Indiana. The National Weather Service office in Indianapolis issued a Flood Watch on May 20 for multiple counties, signaling that water problems were not limited to one roadway or one community. In this part of the state, a heavy rain event can ripple quickly from one creek or river crossing to the next.
State Road 145 has also been shaped by other disruptions this year, underscoring how exposed the corridor can be. Near Birdseye in Dubois County, INDOT closed a stretch beginning around May 15 for replacement of three box culverts, work expected to last through the beginning of November if weather allows. Earlier, INDOT announced a separate closure near Bristow in Perry County beginning around February 25 for a bridge rehabilitation project over Maggity Branch.
Flood-related closures have been part of the same pattern. In March, rising water from the Patoka River and its tributaries forced multiple road closures in Dubois County, and NOAA’s Patoka River gauge near Jasper lists roadway flooding and closures among the flood impacts that can hit nearby Indiana routes. Together, the closures show how quickly water, construction and aging drainage infrastructure can interrupt travel on one of the region’s most important links.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
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