Move & placement planned Sept. 12, 13, 14 – Exact schedule depends on weather
PADUCAH, Ky. (Sept 6, 2022) – After months of construction and planning, the 700 ft. steel truss for the new U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland is expected to be floated into position and placed at the bridge construction site on September 12, 13, and 14. Weather and river conditions will be deciding factors on the start date.
While security will be tight at the construction site, Jim Smith Contracting, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), American Bridge Company, and the U.S. Coast Guard have made arrangements for a public viewing area during the 3-day move and installation process.
“We have arranged for a public access area at the north end of the bridge construction site. There will be parking along the approach to the new bridge, as well as at the Livingston County Fairgrounds across U.S. 60,” said KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle Poat. “The public can walk up on the north bridge approach to watch the truss being raised into place. We urge anyone who wants to watch the truss placement to bring a lawn chair, water, and some protection from the sun.”
Poat emphasized that placing the truss will be a slow process, with most of the activity at the construction site on September 13 and 14.
“Raising the truss about 90 ft. into the air so it can be placed on the main piers is expected to take most of the day on Tuesday,” Poat said. “This is going to be a long-haul event. As the old saying goes, it will be much like watching paint dry.”
Public access will be controlled at the fairgrounds and the north approach of the bridge by KYTC maintenance personnel and will be limited to specific hours. Also the existing bridge will be one lane only with automated signals during the entire float in operation.
Lane Restrictions on the Existing U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge
Monday, 9/12 starting at noon, CDT, through Wednesday, 9/14 at noon, or earlier if truss installation is completed
Public Access at North End of New Bridge for Truss Installation
Monday 9/12 from noon to 4:00 p.m., CDT
Tuesday 9/13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., CDT
Area residents who plan to watch the truss installation should bring water, a lawn chair, sunscreen, and be prepared for warm temperatures. KYTC personnel will provide directions for parking and access.
American Bridge assembled the 700-foot blue steel structure on 4-jumbo barges at the Paducah Riverport. The plan is to float it 14 miles upstream on the Ohio River to the construction site near the mouth of the Cumberland River in Livingston County.
Jacking towers will then raise the 5.2 million pound truss about 90 feet so it can be floated over and placed on the main piers of the new bridge.
Movement and placement of the truss will be a three-day process that will involve KYTC engineers, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, American Bridge engineers, numerous local agencies, and Jim Smith Contracting – the prime contractor for the $63.6 million project.
Here is an updated outline of the truss move:
- The Coast Guard plans to close the Ohio River between the Paducah Riverport and Smithland to all boat traffic to accommodate the move
- Sept 12: Truss expected to leave Paducah Riverport between 8 a.m. and Noon, with the voyage to the bridge site to take about 4 hours.
- Sept 13: Truss to be jacked to an elevation where it can be placed on the main piers of the bridge structure.
- Sept 14: Jacking towers removed and flotilla returned to Paducah.
Traffic on the existing U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland will be restricted to one lane with an automated signal starting around Noon, on Sept. 12. It will remain restricted until placement of the truss is completed.
Once the truss is in place, Jim Smith Contracting expects it will take 6 to 8 months to complete the deck on the main span to prepare it for traffic in late spring of 2023. The new bridge is immediately downstream from the existing bridge, which opened to traffic in 1931.
During the truss move and placement, frequent updates with photos and videos will be provided at www.Facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.
The contractor and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers have established an updated work schedule for the project.
September 12, 13 & 14, 2022
Main truss float-in on Span 4
October-November 2022
Prep and deck concrete pour on Span 4
April-May 2023
U.S. 60 highway connections final tie-in Traffic moved to new bridge Demolition of old bridge
June-August 2023
Final roadway driving surface and finish work Target completion date Dec. 1, 2023
Additional information
The new bridge has a truss design similar to that of the U.S. 60 Tennessee River Bridge at Ledbetter. It will have a 40-foot-wide, two-lane deck with 12-foot driving lanes and 8-foot shoulders that will allow clearance for most farm equipment to cross without stopping oncoming traffic.
To aid river navigation on the Cumberland River the new bridge will have no piers in the water during normal river conditions.
The new bridge will provide a significant cross-country link for U.S. 60 through western Kentucky and a critical connection for local Livingston County traffic. The Cumberland River splits the county, and the bridge is the only direct link for local commuters, commerce, school buses, and emergency responders.