Temporary weight restriction on 12th Street bridge at Ashland
Vehicles crossing river from Ohio limited to 10 tons
FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. (May 21, 2013) – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has posted a temporary 10-ton weight limit on the 12th Street bridge (Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge) at Ashland following a crash that damaged part of the bridge’s superstructure.
Local authorities notified the Transportation Cabinet that the bridge, which connects US 52 in Ohio with US 23 and US 60 in Kentucky, had been struck by a vehicle on the Ohio approach span.
Bridge inspectors responded to examine damaged steel beams, and determined that the bridge could remain open to traffic. However, until the damage can be repaired, the weight of vehicles crossing the bridge is restricted to 10 tons.
Engineers are currently planning repairs, which will be done as quickly as possible. Until those repairs are complete, traffic over 10 tons coming from Ohio may detour using these routes to reach Ashland:
- From Portsmouth, Ohio, east on US 52, cross the Jesse Stuart Memorial Bridge at Greenup, Ky., to US 23 south.
- From Chesapeake, Ohio, west on US 52, cross the Nick Joe Rahall II bridge at Huntington, W.Va., to I-64 west to US 23 north.
All traffic under 10 tons, as well as traffic crossing the 13th Street (Simeon Willis) Bridge into Ohio, is unaffected.
