Tentative date set for 12th Street bridge maintenance in Ashland

FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. (WTVQ) – A tentative mid-September start date has been set for a $1 million Transportation Cabinet preventive maintenance project on downtown Ashland’s 12th Street bridge that will require a two-month closure of the Ohio River crossing.

The project includes a new concrete driving surface, new connecting joints and other repairs to the 1930s-era 12th Street (green) bridge – officially named the Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge – which will help ensure its continued longevity.

KYTC says closing the bridge is the safest option for both motorists and contractors – the structure is too narrow to work in one lane while traffic is flowing in the other lane – and it shortens the repair time.

During construction, all traffic on the one-way 12th Street bridge coming from US 52 in Ohio to US 23 and US 60 in downtown Ashland, Ky., will be detoured across the adjacent 13th Street (blue) bridge, the Simeon Willis Bridge.

The 13th Street bridge, which normally carries traffic one way from Kentucky to Ohio, will be converted to handle two-way traffic.

Weather and construction schedules permitting, contractors plan to start Sunday, Sept. 9, on that conversion process by repainting traffic lanes and reconfiguring traffic islands and signals at intersections on both sides of the river.

The full traffic switch, that is when two-way traffic will begin flowing across the 13th Street bridge, is tentatively set to occur some time Monday, Sept. 10.

Prior to those start dates, specific schedules and traffic changes will be announced. The traffic changes will be similar to the detours established when the 12th Street bridge was repaired in 2013 after a truck damaged a support beam.

The 12th Street bridge was fully refurbished in the 1980s and since then has seen several painting and maintenance projects.

Recently, engineers analyzed the bridge’s concrete pavement using ground penetrating radar and other methods and determined that a concrete overlay and new deck joints are necessary to prevent future deterioration of the roadway and safeguard the bridge’s ability to handle its traffic load.

In June, the Transportation Cabinet awarded a $988,948 contract to Delong Concrete LLC of Lexington for the work. The project includes a Nov. 15 completion deadline.

During the project, Kentucky Department of Highways will provide updated traffic information to the public via local media and online at http://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.