A Mason County bridge has been ordered closed after failing to meeting National Bridge Highway Standards, Mason County Judge-Executive Joe Pfeffer said Thursday.
The historic bridge on Davis Lane crosses the North Fork of the Licking River near the Mason County-Lewis County line. It was built in 1892, according to information from Allen Blair with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 9 spokesperson Allen Blair.
The bridge belongs to the county but is inspected by the state, Blair said.
“We inspect all bridges/structures over 20 feet, regardless of ownership,” he said.
“Based on our last inspection (Aug. 23) and load rating analysis, engineers concluded the continued deterioration is too great and advised the county it must be closed for traffic safety reasons,” Blair said.
The county had performed some repair work on the bridge in an attempt to keep it open and the weight limit had been reduced to three tons, Pfeffer said, but areas not repaired were what prompted the closing.
“We know its an inconvenience,” Pfeffer said. But closing the span until a replacement is in place will provide the safest outcome for travelers, he said.
About four or five households will be directly impacted by the closure, he said. It may also mean rerouting of school buses, Pfeffer said. The county was already rerouting garbage trucks to keep them off the bridge, he said.
The bridge was already on the state’s replacement program under the Transportation Cabinet’s Bridging Kentucky initiative, Blair said.
“We expect to advertise for bids in September for a project to replace the bridge. The old bridge will be removed and a new one built within the next year,” he said.
Pfeffer said because of the historic nature of the bridge, the state will see if it can be repurposed in another location, should a request for the bridge be replaced.
An historic iron bridge in Augusta was repurposed in a park in western Kentucky when it was replaced several years ago.
In another road-related event, county officials said Parker Lane will be closed to through traffic beginning Tuesday, Sept. 3 and Wednesday, Sept. 4, from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. for resurfacing, weather permitting. Motorists are encouraged to use an alternate route to avoid delays.
