New Russell Viaduct Bridge Now Open in Greenup County
New downtown traffic pattern in place
FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. (Nov. 19, 2021) – The new Russell viaduct (KY 244) in Greenup County officially opened to traffic about 2:30 p.m. today as contractors connected a newly-built flyover bridge to Bellefonte Street downtown.
All vehicles will now use the new US 23 and KY 244 intersection north of the Ironton-Russell bridge to travel to and from downtown Russell and to access KY 750. That permanent traffic pattern includes:
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Northbound US 23: To go to downtown Russell, pass the Ironton-Russell bridge then turn left at the old KY 750 turn, then follow the new KY 244 flyover across US 23 to Bellefonte Street downtown.
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Southbound US 23: To go to downtown Russell, turn right at the old KY 750 turn then follow the new KY 244 flyover into downtown.
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From the Ironton-Russell bridge: To go to downtown Russell, turn right on US 23 north then turn left at the old KY 750 turn to access the new KY 244 flyover.
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Access to KY 750: Traffic will turn onto the new KY 244 flyover, proceed up the hill, then turn right at the new KY 750 intersection.
Motorists should note that while the new road and bridge is now open, the area remains a construction zone. Speed limits are reduced and some traffic changes are still in place.
Contractors will keep the old KY 244 viaduct closed and barricaded, pending demolition after Thanksgiving. One-lane traffic remains in place on US 23 for the next few weeks for final steel painting and landscaping. In addition, occasional flagged traffic is possible along KY 244 and KY 750 as needed.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s $24 million Russell viaduct replacement project, which began in April 2020, not only replaces the old 1930s-era KY 244 bridge that had become obsolete and unsafe, but also improves traffic flow at the busy US 23 and Ironton-Russell bridge intersection.
Instead of branching off US 23 at the Ironton-Russell bridge, the KY 244 turn has been moved northward and the road is now carried by a new, state-of-the-art curved flyover bridge in a loop over US 23 and adjacent railroad tracks into downtown Russell.
Once the old viaduct is demolished, the US 23 and the Ironton-Russell bridge turn will be reconfigured as a T-style intersection, which will reduce traffic signal wait times there and improve traffic flow for 18,000 vehicles a day.
To learn more about the project and view flyover diagrams, link to District 9’s “Russell Viaduct Project” at https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine or bookmark the web page at https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/RussellViaduct.aspx.
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