From Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 1:

Project continues to be ahead of schedule

PADUCAH, Ky. (April 16, 2021) — Construction of the New U.S. 60 bridge over the Cumberland River at Smithland, in Livingston County, reached another milepost ahead of schedule this week.

Jim Smith Contracting, prime contractor on the $63.6 million project, poured concrete on the two south approach spans this week and expects arrival and placement of additional beams for the north approach spans later this month.

KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle Poat says he and other engineers supervising the project are pleased with progress so far.

“Work continues to appear to be a month or two ahead of schedule,” Poat said. “That’s good, although on a project with a 40-month construction schedule, it's a bit early to do much celebrating.”

Jim Smith Contracting plans to begin construction on footers for the main piers nearest the river bank after the spring flood season in early May. The construction schedule calls for moving traffic to the new bridge in spring 2023.

Steel for the main truss has been ordered and should start arriving this summer. The 700-foot main span will be assembled off-site, beginning this fall, then floated to the construction site by barge and lifted into place in fall 2022.

The new bridge will have a 40-foot-wide, two-lane deck with 12-foot-wide driving lanes and 6-foot-wide shoulders, allowing motor vehicles to share the bridge with most farm equipment.

In addition to providing a significant link for U.S. 60 through western Kentucky, the new bridge will maintain a critical connection for Livingston County, which is divided by the Cumberland River.

The new bridge will replace a span built in 1931 and known as the Lucy Jefferson Lewis Memorial Bridge or Smithland Bridge.

Tentative construction schedule:

April-June 2021
Pier 3 footing, columns, web wall, cap
Pour North approach deck spans
Shafts at Pier 4

July-October 2021
Cofferdam for Pier 4
Structural steel deliveries
Begin offsite assembly of main truss
Pier 4 footing, columns, web wall, cap

June 2022
Span 5 beams

September 2022
Main truss float-in on Span 4
Deck Concrete on Span 4

April-May 2023
U.S. 60 highway connections tie-in
Traffic moved to new bridge
Demolition of old bridge

September-November 2023
Final roadway surfacing
Target completion date Dec. 1, 2023

CAPTION: Jim Smith Contracting of Grand Rivers continues to run several months ahead of schedule on the New U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland. This week, workers placed 140 cubic yards of concrete on the deck of the southernmost approach span at the Smithland end of the bridge. Here, a concrete pump is being used to deliver concrete to the deck of the second approach span.