The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will replace the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge lights in downtown Maysville beginning this month.
The $400,000 improvement project, which is expected to start Nov. 14 and continue through December, will require daytime closures of the Ohio River Bridge.
Motorists who use US 62 to cross between Kentucky and Ohio must detour 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday, and possibly weekends, using KY 8 and US 68, or US 52 in Ohio, and the nearby William Harsha Bridge (US 68) until work is complete.
In February 2014, the Transportation Cabinet switched off the Simon Kenton Bridge’s aesthetic lighting — known as the “necklace” lighting — after a review found exposed wiring, inadequate or damaged connectors, damaged and missing junction box covers, possible short circuits and other public safety issues. Tower lights, which are on a separate circuit, street lights and navigational lights remain unaffected.
Electrical contractors inspected the lighting system that summer. Afterward, the cabinet worked with consulting engineers and the City of Maysville on plans to replace the lights, then began designing a new system. Construction drawings were finalized, and the state advertised for bids on the project this summer.
Bansal Construction Inc. of Fairfield, Ohio, was awarded the project under a $382,831.86 low-bid contract with the Transportation Cabinet. The company will remove the old lights and wiring from the Simon Kenton’s suspension cables, and replace them with new LED lights and a safer, more reliable electrical system.
Construction will start Monday, Nov. 14, and because installation equipment will take up much of the bridge’s roadway, the work will require the bridge to close during work hours, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The bridge will remain open late afternoon, overnight and early morning, and during all holidays. No weekend work is planned currently, but is possible.
The contractor has 60 working days to complete the project. It’s anticipated that the project could be complete by late December, but work could extend into January depending on weather and construction issues.
Once complete, the lighting system will be maintained by the City of Maysville.
Story provided by (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet)