A temporary daytime closure of the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge (US 62) in downtown Maysville has been scheduled for July 14 for a routine annual inspection, officials with the Kentucky TransportationCabinet said Friday.
Beginning at 9 a.m., Thursday, July 14, KYTC engineers will close the Ohio River bridge in Mason County to check support cables and other structural components. The bridge should reopen by 3 p.m. or as soon as inspections are complete.
The work is weather dependent. In case of windy conditions or rain, the bridge inspection and closure will be rescheduled for Friday, July 15, or on the next available date.
While the bridge is closed, all traffic should detour using the William H. Harsha Bridge (US 68) three miles west of Maysville to connect between Kentucky and US 52, US 62, or US 68 in Ohio.
During a routine inspection in 2018 inspectors found extensive corrosion damage to several suspender cables – the vertical cables extending from the main suspension cable that support the bridge’s driving surface.
In November 2019, the cabinet awarded a $254,535 repair contract.
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.
In April 2020, contractors finished the bulk of a safety repair project that included the installation of temporary support rods and brackets to reduce the stress on 19 damaged cables. Afterward, inspections determined the need for additional anti-corrosive coatings for steel cables and other components showing higher rates of corrosion than expected. After that work was completed, the bridge was reopened in June 2020.
Officials originally earmarked $23.4 million to rehabilitate the historic Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge in the state’s most recent budget. But the version sent to the governor only includes $2.1 million bridge that connects downtown Maysville with Aberdeen, Ohio.
