Photo provided by KYTC
A tentative date has been announced for explosive demolition of the two main spans of the old Lake Barkley Bridge on US 68 at Canton in Trigg County.
Weather permitting, it will be Wednesday, April 11th, according to an email from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Officials say that over the last month, a demolition crew removed the concrete deck from the 86-year-old structure. A specialized demolition crew completed a detailed survey of the two steel truss spans to plan placement of explosives to bring down the old bridge.
Traffic will have to be shut down on the new bridge for several hours on the morning of April 11th and river traffic in the immediate area will be shut down for about 24 hours on the day of the blast.
Once the main steel truss structures are dropped into Lake Barkley, cranes will move to the site to remove the fallen steel. The Coast Guard requires the contractor to clear the main channel within 24 hours to minimize disruptions to commercial river traffic.
Unlike the explosive demolition of the old Eggners Ferry Bridge, which had a ready-made overlook from the Kenlake State Park amphitheater, the explosion of the old Lake Barkley Bridge will not be as easily observed by area residents.