Clark Memorial Bridge painting project to resume in March
Louisville, KY (Feb. 28, 2019) – Painting of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge – which carries US 31 across the Ohio River between Louisville, Ky., and Jeffersonville, Ind., – will resume in March. Construction activity paused over the winter due to temperature limitations for painting the steel truss.
Crews with Spartan Contracting LLC of Hubbard, Ohio are returning to Louisville next week to begin mobilizing equipment. The Clark Memorial Bridge (locally known as the Second Street Bridge) will be closed Monday night, March 4 for installation of traffic control items. This closure is scheduled from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following morning.
Beginning Tuesday morning, March 5, one lane will be open in each direction daily for traffic. Two lanes will remain closed to accommodate cleaning and painting equipment during the remainder of the project.
As was the case in 2018, bicyclists will be restricted from using the bridge, and the sidewalks will be closed to pedestrians.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) implemented overnight closures on the Clark Memorial Bridge in September 2018 to improve safety for motorists and workers following several work zone crashes during the first six months of the project. Overnight closures on the bridge will resume on Monday, March 11. The bridge will close at 8 p.m. each night and reopen by 5 a.m. the following morning.
Work this season will begin on the Kentucky side of the Clark Memorial Bridge and proceed north to where the painting ended last year. This end of the bridge crosses over Interstate 64, Second Street and River Road in downtown Louisville. Some nighttime interstate lane closures and full street closures will be necessary while contract crews install rigging, work platforms, and containment areas.
Overnight lane closures on I-64 in both directions under the Clark Memorial Bridge (mile marker 4.7) are scheduled to begin Monday, March 11. These lane closures will be in place from 8 p.m. each night until 6 a.m. the following morning. Equipment installation in this area will take approximately two weeks to complete.
Also, eastbound River Road will be closed between Second Street and Third Street adjacent to the KFC YUM! Center. Second Street will be closed under the bridge between Witherspoon Street and River Road. These closures will occur during the same period as the lane closures on I-64.
Cleaning and painting of the steel on the Clark Memorial Bridge is expected to begin in late March. This work will preserve the steel, thus extending the life of the 89-year old bridge. The entire $27.9 million project is scheduled for completion in November 2019.
The date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur. Visit goky.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You can also get traffic information for the District 5 counties at facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5 and twitter.com/KYTCDistrict5 .
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