Contact: Sara George, Information Officer
Highway District 12
109 Loraine Street
Pikeville, Kentucky 41501
606-433-7791
Toll-Free 877-433-7791
Mobile: 606-434-3688

FLOYD COUNTY – July 23, 2008 – A temporary detour bridge at Drift opened on June 25, making travel in and out of the Floyd County community more convenient and safe, according to Chuck Childers, Highway District 12 Resident Engineer.

Bush & Burchett of Allen is contractor on a project to build a new bridge at Drift. The old bridge off KY 122 at Simpson Branch Road was closed last year by Sam Hale, PE, District 12 Bridge Engineer, after an inspection deemed it unsafe for vehicles and pedestrians.

The contract -- $949,980.62 -- gives Bush & Burchett 105 working days to build the detour bridge, tear the old bridge down, and construct a new bridge at the same location as the old bridge. Rain days and other unforeseen and unpreventable delays do not count against the contractor, so the actual construction time may take longer than a literal 105 working days from the start date, which was Monday, May 19.

The temporary detour bridge is located beside the old bridge, which makes driving to and from Drift easier than using the only other access, a dirt and gravel road on the other end of the community.