Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews were scheduled to close the southbound lane of State Road 135 north of Freetown to complete emergency pavement repairs prior to 5 p.m. Friday.

The location of the repairs is approximately 2 miles south of the Brown County line between county roads 890N and 1000N.

A section of State Road 135 will be reduced to one lane using barrels with stop signs and portable message boards placed at each end. Traffic will alternate using the northbound lane while repairs are made. A timeline for the work has not yet been set.

Early next week, tentatively planned for Wednesday, the State Road 135 bridge over Kiper Creek, located just south of the pavement repair area (2.72 miles north of State Road 58), will close for up to 120 days for a replacement project.

The project is part of a $2.3 million construction contract that was awarded in August 2020. Traffic will be detoured onto State Road 46, Interstate 65 and State Road 58 while the bridge is closed. The start date for the closure has been accelerated due to the pavement repairs to the north.

INDOT reminds drivers to slow down, use extra caution, avoid distractions and consider worker safety when traveling through active work zones. All work is weather-dependent, and schedules are subject to change.