Truss Flotilla Has Departed the New U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland
Boat traffic has resumed on the lower Cumberland River
PADUCAH, Ky. (Sept 15, 2022) – With two of the four jacking towers removed, the flotilla that transported and placed a 700 ft. truss on the New U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland has moved away from the construction site. The departure of the flotilla has allowed commercial towboat traffic and pleasure boat traffic to resume on the lower Cumberland River at navigation mile point 2.7
An American Bridge Company crew completed removal of two of the four jacking towers that lifted the 5.1 million pound truss into place about 90 ft. above the river. Lowering of towers on the upstream side of the new truss allowed the flotilla to move away from the construction site around 2:30 p.m., today.
Completion of the work also allowed a lane restriction to be removed from the existing U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland - returning traffic to normal flow at the north edge of Smithland.
The truss will have to sit atop the piers for about a month before Jim Smith Contracting (JSC) can start placing a concrete deck on the structure. That work is expected to take about six months which would allow traffic to be moved to the new bridge in late spring of 2023.
American Bridge assembled the 700-foot blue steel structure on 4-jumbo barges at the Paducah Riverport, then transported it upstream to the construction site.
Photos and videos of the truss move and placement are posted for public access at www.Facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.
Project Schedule
October-November 2022
Prep and start deck concrete pour on main span
April-May 2023
U.S. 60 highway connections final tie-in
Traffic moved to new bridge
Demolition of the old bridge
June-August 2023
Final roadway driving surface and finish work
Target completion date for all work is Dec. 1, 2023
The new bridge will have a 40-foot-wide, two-lane deck with 12-foot driving lanes and 8-foot shoulders that will allow clearance for most farm equipment to cross without stopping oncoming traffic.
To aid river navigation on the Cumberland River, the new bridge will have no piers in the water during normal river conditions.
The new bridge will improve a significant cross-country link for U.S. 60 through western Kentucky and a critical connection for local Livingston County traffic. The Cumberland River splits the county, and the bridge is the only direct link for local commuters, commerce, school buses, and emergency responders.
Photos and videos of the truss in place are available at www.Facebook.com/kytcdistrict1.
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