KYTC to Begin Inspection, Testing of Welds on Carroll Cropper Memorial Bridge to Ensure Safety
Extended traffic lane closures scheduled
COVINGTON, Ky. (March 2, 2023) – In keeping with its mission to provide a safe transportation system for the traveling public, next Monday, March 6, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) will begin rigorous testing of metal welds on the Carroll Lee Cropper Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 275 over the Ohio River.
The federally-mandated inspection will require single-lane closures on the four-lane bridge from Monday, March 6, through April 14. Eastbound will be inspected first followed by the westbound side. The lane closures will be contained to the far-right lane as the inspection advances. Digital message signs will be placed on I-275 west notifying motorists of the work in advance of the closures.
The Carroll Cropper Memorial Bridge undergoes a routine inspection every two years, with the most recent being in July 2022. At the same time, inspectors make a close-up, hands-on examination of its critical members. While that inspection report contained no critical findings for the bridge built in 1977, the upcoming inspection is more specialized. It will involve removing paint, testing hundreds of welds and replacing primer.
“This in-depth inspection will determine whether very specific repairs will be needed. The public can be assured that our bridges will be kept safe,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray.
The Carroll Cropper is one of two spans in the Department of Highways District 6 region that will undergo this type of inspection. It contains “T-1” steel – a grade of high-strength, quenched and treated steel known for being highly amenable to welding and machining. However, in May 2021, a fracture was discovered in a weld – referred to as a “butt weld” – in a T-1 steel component of the Interstate 40 Hernando de Soto Bridge between Memphis, Tennessee, and West Memphis, Arkansas.
As a result, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in December 2021 issued a memorandum to states to identify, inspect and test specific T-1 steel bridges to verify the soundness of all butt welds with the use of non-destructive testing. FHWA asked that all the projects be completed by March 31, 2024.
Michael Baker International, an engineering firm instrumental in the emergency repair of the Interstate 71/Interstate 75 Brent Spence Bridge between Covington and Cincinnati following a fire in 2020, will lead the inspection and testing.
As updates become available, information on the lane closures and traffic impacts will be posted online at transportation.ky.gov/DistrictSix, on Facebook at KYTC District 6 and on Twitter at KYTCDistrict6. Visit trimarc.org for real-time traffic information and goky.ky.gov for the entire state.
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