Progress continues on the new $63.6 million U.S. 60 Cumberland River “Smithland” Bridge project in Livingston County.
District 1 spokesman Keith Todd with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said a contractor took advantage of warm weather this week to move forward with a second concrete pour on the main span of the new bridge Tuesday.
Todd said workers will continue placing rebar as the weather allows them to prepare for the next round of concrete placement on the main deck.
Once the deck on the main span is completed, according to Todd, workers will move their focus to adding electrical conduit to be encased in the barrier wall on each side of the driving surface. Once the conduit is in place, the contractor will schedule several more concrete pours to complete the barrier wall.
The new 1,912-foot bridge structure is immediately downstream from the existing bridge, which opened to traffic in 1931. The new bridge will have a 40-foot-wide, two-lane deck with 12-foot driving lanes and 8-foot shoulders that officials indicate will allow clearance for most farm equipment to cross without stopping oncoming traffic.
Todd said 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, making the bridge the only direct link for local commuters, commerce, school buses, and emergency responders.
