Plans to reopen the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge in Maysville this spring are on track now that work’s under way to fix its damaged cabling.
On Monday, contractors moved equipment onto the currently closed downtown bridge, which carries US 62 across the Ohio River between Maysville and Aberdeen, Ohio. Repair work will ramp up this week, and continue into April.
Repairs will include installation of temporary support rods and brackets at 19 locations adjacent to damaged suspender cables as a short-term safety measure and to hopefully return the bridge to a more normal weight limit while longer-term repairs are considered.
Work should be complete by April 15, after which bridge inspectors will survey the repairs to make sure the bridge can be safely reopened. If it passes inspection, engineers will reopen the bridge as quickly as possible but it will likely come after April 15. And, when reopened, it’s likely the bridge will be restricted to a lower weight limit.
In July, bridge inspectors found corrosion damage to several suspender cables – the vertical cables extending from the main suspension cable that support the bridge’s driving surface. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet lowered weight limits and put the bridge on a monthly inspection rotation and began planning temporary repairs.
In November, the cabinet awarded a $254,535 repair contract to Judy C. Harp Company, Inc., and the contractor began ordering bridge components and other materials.
The bridge was then closed to safeguard it from further damage – and protect the traveling public – after subsequent inspections found that the conditions of cables had worsened at several locations.
Until repairs are complete and it passes inspection, the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge will remain closed. All US 62 traffic should continue to detour using the William H. Harsha Bridge (US 68) three miles north of Maysville to connect to and from US 52 and US 62 in Ohio.
