Construction of the New U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge in Smithland continues to run ahead of schedule. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the contractor will resume roadway work Monday at the U.S. 60/KY 70 intersection on the south approach. There will also be another concrete pour on the main pier on the north bank of the river.
According to KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle Poat, while there were some delays due to floodwaters during the fall and winter, the project appears to be approximately two months ahead of schedule.
The 700 ft. steel truss for the main span is nearing completion and is being painted at the Paducah Riverport, where it was assembled.
Poat said the schedule calls for the truss to be completed and floated to the bridge site sometime in September, where it will then be jacked into place on the piers. He said if the project stays on schedule, the bridge should open to traffic next spring.
The new Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland has a truss design similar to the U.S. 60 Tennessee River Bridge at Ledbetter. The new bridge will have a 40-foot-wide, two-lane deck with 12-foot driving lanes and 6-foot shoulders, providing ample clearance for most farm equipment to cross without stopping oncoming traffic.
Jim Smith Contracting of Grand Rivers is the prime contractor on the $63 million project to erect the new 1,912 ft. structure immediately downstream from the existing bridge, which is just over 1,800 feet long and opened in 1931.
