Construction under way on two replacement bridges over Blackberry Creek, Pike County

Two of 35 bridges set for construction this year

PIKE COUNTY (January 20, 2021) – Mobilization started the first week of this month for construction of two new bridges over Blackberry Creek in Pike County. Both county-owned bridges, they are being replaced by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as part of its Bridging Kentucky program. The new structures still will be owned by the Pike County Fiscal Court, and the county will be responsible for their maintenance.

The Blue Springs Road bridge on County Road 1801 at the junction of KY 1056, was built in 1950. Traffic will be diverted during construction; drivers need to heed the directional signs at the work zone. This project is expected to take up to 120 days with an estimated open to traffic date of May 12, 2021.

The Ail Branch Road bridge on County Road 1597A, also near the junction of KY 1056, was built in 1992. Traffic will be detoured during construction; drivers should follow the detour signs at the work zone. This project is expected to take up to 60 days with an estimated open to traffic date of March 6, 2021.

“We ask that folks whose daily commute is impacted by these construction projects be patient. The schedule for each bridge could change, depending on weather complications, materials delivery, or the affect of COVID-19 on the work force, among other things,” said Sara George, Highway District 12 Information Officer. “As long as the winter weather continues to be mild, we expect the Ail Branch bridge to open in early March and the Blue Springs Road Bridge to open mid-May.”

These projects are part of a 106-bridge design-build Bridging Kentucky contract awarded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as a joint venture to Central Bridge Company and Bizzack, 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.

Three of the 47 are already finished and open to traffic:

• Letcher County: KY 2034 over Crafts Colley Creek opened to traffic August 27, 2020.
• Knott County: Sly Branch (CR 1408) over Right Fork of Beaver Creek opened to traffic September 4, 2020.
• Martin County: Dans Branch Road/Willis Dials Road (CR 1120) over Pigeonroost Fork opened November 18, 2020.

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.

The remaining 42 District 12 bridges, are listed below, one in Johnson County, one in Lawrence, two in Martin County, five in Floyd, eight in Pike, 13 in Knott, and 12 in Letcher County. Thirty-five of these are scheduled for construction this year.The tentative start dates for those 35 are listed in parentheses after the bridge description. If no start date is listed, this means that bridge will be built in 2022 or 2023.

The contract calls for all 106 bridges to be complete and open to traffic by November 1, 2023. “The contractors still expect to meet that final finish date,” George said, “despite the affects of COVID-19 on their work force. Since the pandemic is not yet under control, however, we want people to understand that the final completion date for the remaining District 12 bridges remains flexible.”

JOHNSON COUNTY

1. KY 825 over Little Paint Creek; one mile south of KY 40, the Charlotte Conley Bridge.

LAWRENCE COUNTY

2. Little East Fork Road (CR 1317) near Trinity School over the East Fork of Little Sandy, one-tenth of a mile south of KY 1496. (Note: the start date on this bridge was scheduled last year; the delay is due to waterline construction.) 03/01/2021

MARTIN COUNTY:

3. Rockhouse Mill Road (CR 1374) over Rockhouse Fork, one-tenth of a mile west of KY 1224. 06/18/2021
4. Hunters Lane (CR 1379) over Rockhouse Fork, one-tenth of a mile west of KY 1224. 08/03/2021

FLOYD COUNTY:

5. KY 550 just southwest of KY 850 over Brush Creek. 07/01/2021
6. Bryant Branch (CR 1253), one-tenth of a mile south of KY 122 over Left Fork of Beaver Creek. 05/03/2021
7. KY 466 at Upper Weeksbury, 2.1 miles south of KY 122 over Left Fork of Beaver Creek. 07/29/2021
8. Twin Branch (KY 194), two miles east of KY 1428 over Cow Creek. 06/25/2021
9. Bonanza (KY 1427), .05 mile west of KY 1750 over Abbott Creek. 06/08/2021

PIKE COUNTY:

10. Elwood Road/Buckeye Drive (CR 1789) over Shelby Creek, 100 feet east of KY 610. (Note: the start date for this project was scheduled last year; however, one remaining right of way parcel has yet to be cleared.) 07/01/2021
11. Old US 119 near Open Fork, two miles east of KY 194 over Bent Branch. 10/01/2021
12. KY 199 1.7 miles southwest of KY 1056 over Pond Creek. 10/01/2021
13. Dorton Street/Dorton School (CR 1935), .05 miles east of KY 610 over Shelby Creek. 06/01/2021
14. Beefhide/Pilgrim Rest Church (CR 1906), 1.4 miles southwest of KY 610 over Beefhide Creek. 05/03/2021
15. Deskins Road (CR 1460), .05 miles east of US 119 (mile point 8.73) near Meta Mart over Johns Creek. 10/01/2021
16. Elm Branch (CR 1842) near Phelps Fire Department, one-tenth of a mile southeast of KY 632 over Right Fork of Peter Creek. 06/01/2021
17. KY 3419, .542 miles south of KY 1056, second bridge from intersection with KY 1056 over Left Fork of Blackberry Creek. 06/01/2021

(KNOTT and LETCHER also had several bridges listed.)