CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Beginning Sept. 16, construction will begin on the Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge to resurface the bridge, which connects Ironton, Ohio, to Russell, Kentucky.
The current surface is about eight years old, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. The lifespan of the cable-stayed bridge itself is about 80 years.
“We did not want to wait to make these important repairs until the surface was beyond its expected lifespan,” Mike Dombrowski, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s 9th District, said in a news release. “Because we are doing this preventative maintenance project now, the work is not as extensive as it would have been had we waited.”
Approximately 3.2 cm of the surface is milled off and replaced with the new material.
Due to the narrowness of the bridge, partial renovation to keep one lane open is not possible, ODOT said in a press release.
“We know this is an inconvenience to users of this bridge, but we want to make sure we get the best outcome from the project to maximize the life of the bridge deck in the future,” Dombrowski said.
The closure is expected to last 30 days.
During the closure, traffic heading toward Kentucky will be diverted via Park Avenue (SR 93), then east to US 52, south over the Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge (12th Street) over the Ohio River, and west to Winchester Avenue (US 23) in Ashland.
Traffic from Kentucky to Ohio is diverted via Winchester Avenue (US 23) to the Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge (13th Street), then west to US 52 and south to Park Avenue (SR 93).
