Photo from KYTC
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to move two-lane traffic on US 68-80 to the new Lake Barkley Bridge at Canton on Monday.
Officials say traffic will be transitioned from the old structure once several final tasks are completed, but they are confident work can be done by their target date.
District 1 Chief Engineer Mike McGregor says they anticipate the move to the new bridge to happen during the mid-morning hours Monday. Crews will move one lane of traffic over to the new bridge; then some time will be needed to complete traffic striping and movement of traffic barricades and signage to allow the other lane of traffic to move.
Two-way traffic will be established along what will eventually become the eastbound lanes of the new bridge. Shifting traffic to the new bridge will allow engineers to develop a timeline for the demolition of the old Lake Barkley Bridge. Work to remove the concrete deck on the old bridge is expected to start within a day or two, with efforts directed toward demolition of the steel superstructure with use of explosives sometime in late March or in April.
During early planning for the new bridge, the U.S. Coast Guard requested that the main spans of the existing bridge structure be removed as quickly as possible once two-way traffic is moved to the new