Bridge Project Starting in Letcher County
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A construction crew is mobilizing this week for a bridge replacement project in Letcher County. The Cornetts Branch Road (CR-1253) bridge over Line Fork will be replaced with a new, realigned structure.
Traffic will continue to use the current bridge during construction and the eastbound lane of KY 1103 will be closed at times. During this lane closure, one-lane traffic on KY 1103 will be maintained utilizing temporary signals. The anticipated construction duration is 112 days.
The current 71-foot bridge was built in 1970 and has a posted weight limit of 15 tons. Once complete, the replacement bridge will have no load restrictions and a design life of at least 75 years.
This project is part of a 106-bridge design-build Bridging Kentucky contract awarded by KYTC as a joint venture to Central Bridge Company, LLC and Bizzack Construction, LLC, both of Lexington, as well as HDR Engineering. The contract includes a total of 47 bridges in Highway District 12: three in Martin County, five in Floyd, one each in Johnson and Lawrence counties, 14 in Knott, 13 in Letcher, and 10 in Pike County.
The remaining 59 bridges in this contract are in other highway districts. The total amount of the 106-bridge contract is $93,306,747.44.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Bridging Kentucky initiative is a commitment to improving safety and soundness of the Commonwealth’s bridges by rehabilitating, repairing, or replacing critical bridges throughout the state. The program is designed to open closed structures, improve bridge lifespans, ensure appropriate weight capacities are met, and improve access and mobility for all Kentuckians.
