Contractor hoping to finish bridge demolition

LEDBETTER, Ky. (AP) — The contractor working to demolish the Old Ledbetter Bridge is hoping to complete the job by Dec. 1.

The Paducah Sun reported (http://bit.ly/ZYLwE8) reported that demolition crews were working this week to remove the final remnants of three west approach spans that collapsed due to land movement in June.

When the last steel truss section over the Tennessee River main navigation channel was detonated Oct. 1, the blast damaged the piers that held it up.

The contractor planned to place a platform on the piers, drill them for placement of explosives and bring them down with controlled detonations.

But cracks left in the piers raised safety questions about the drilling process.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers and the company are continuing to devise options for removing the in-water piers.

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Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com

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