Steel Repairs to Begin on John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge in Jefferson County
Four-day single lane closure beginning next week
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 23, 2024) – Aligned with Team Kentucky’s mission to ensure a safe transportation system for the traveling public, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) will begin steel repairs on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 65 South over the Ohio River.
This bridge repair project follows a federally required inspection of older bridges across the country built with “T-1” steel – a high-strength, quenched and treated steel known for being highly amenable to welding and machining. Potential issues had been found in other states with certain types of welds, which needed to be tested.
During 2022 inspections on the Kennedy bridge, engineering firm Michael Baker International tested 696 welds and identified 44 locations that would need future repairs but posed no immediate safety issues. Consultants and KYTC engineers collaborated to create a repair plan to prevent potential fractures and address these findings. These repairs will ensure the bridge can be safely traveled well into the future.
Beginning Tuesday, July 30, at 4 a.m., the left lane of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge will be closed until Friday, August 2, at 7 p.m. The closure of the left lane is necessary for contract crews to collect measurements to fabricate replacement steel for the repairs.
The project is being completed by Southern Road and Bridge, LLC, under a nearly $3 million contract. The project is expected to be completed by May 2025.
As updates become available, information on lane closures and traffic impacts will be available on Facebook and on X (formally Twitter), as well as online at KYTC District 5’s website. Visit trimarc.org for real-time traffic information and goky.ky.gov for traffic impacts across the state.
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