Two state highways are scheduled to close Monday for bridge projects.
State Road 51 will be closed between Ainsworth Road and 62nd Place through mid-July for a bridge superstructure replacement over Deep River. The Indiana Department of Transportation's official detour will follow U.S. 6, I-94, I-65 and U.S. 30.
Meanwhile, State Road 49 will be closed between Porter County Roads 400 and 500 South through mid-June. Crews will replace the bridge over Ahlgrim Ditch.
The project will use a new type of bridge beam known as NEXT Beams, which INDOT says are cheaper to install and easier to inspect. INDOT began using them last year, and this is its first installation in Northwest Indiana. INDOT says it's also testing a hot mix asphalt deck rather than the typical concrete.
The official detour will follow U.S. 30, U.S. 421 and State Road 8.
