The KY 986 bridge has been restricted to one lane while crews perform a restoration project. Transportation officials said motorists should expect delays as repairs are made to the Tygarts Creek bridge over the next three to five weeks.
Temporary signals are controlling the flow of traffic while repairs are being made. Work being done includes replacing joints and installing a latex concrete overlay on the road, or a new surface. Allen Blair, spokesman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said this bridge handles a fair amount of traffic.
“So, on average, each day more than 1200 cars cross that bridge. That means some days, especially if there’s a big festival, that can be three times that,” said Blair.
Officials urge motorists to drive carefully during the restoration process. They said drivers should slow down, reduce distractions, and heed all flaggers and warning signs during the road work. Blair said the restoration will be done in halves.
“Keep in mind, they’ll be doing half the bridge at a time so; to do half of the bridge from one end to the other takes a couple weeks or so, and then they’ll switch to the other side and do it on that side,” said Blair.
The transportation cabinet warns that road work schedules are subject to change depending on weather conditions. The project is being completed by Euro Paint LLC through a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet contract, which also includes painting of the bridge later this summer along with work on the KY 7 bridge over the Little Sandy River in Grayson. Work on the second bridge is expected to start in the next few weeks.