NEWS RELEASE: Tunnel Ridge Road closure length extended again

KYTC District 10 logo

 

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Department of Highways District 10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2020

Contact: H.B. Elkins
606-666-8841 (switchboard)
606-693-5458 (direct)
HB.Elkins@ky.gov

Tunnel Ridge Road closure length extended again

Closure extended until Aug. 19; no vehicular or pedestrian traffic will be allowed while work is ongoing

JACKSON, Ky.  – The closure of Tunnel Ridge Road (Forest Service Road 39) bridge over the Mountain Parkway in Powell County, set to begin on Monday, Aug. 3, has been extended until Aug. 19.

The bridge is located near the Wolfe County line at the top of Slade Hill at milepoint 35.8 on the Mountain Parkway. Since the bridge is only one lane wide, and Tunnel Ridge Road is a dead-end road, a project to repair the bridge's deck will require the entire road to be closed. The bridge will be closed to all traffic -- vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle -- during the work. Signs will be posted notifying drivers and hikers of the closure. Tunnel Ridge Road will be closed at its intersection with KY 15.

During the first two days of the closure, Aug. 3-4, personnel from the Forest Service will ensure that no vehicles or pedestrians are in the areas beyond the bridge. Work will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 5. The contractor has 11 working days to complete the job. Since weekend days are not counted as working days, the length of the closure has been extended from Aug. 16 to Aug. 19.

The road provides access to the Grays Arch picnic area and a number of trailhead parking areas in the Red River Gorge, so those areas will not be accessible to the public. The bridge is also part of the Sheltowee Trace trail that runs from near the Tennessee state line to Lewis County in northeastern Kentucky.

This project is part of a larger group of bridge rehabilitation projects along the Mountain Parkway and other routes in Powell and Wolfe counties.

Information on trails and recreational opportunities within the Red River Gorge and the Daniel Boone National Forest is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/dbnf/.

###

Tunnel Ridge Road bridge