The Bridging Kentucky Design-Build team recently began their first bridge pour on the CR-1207 bridge over Middle Fork Kentucky River in Leslie Co. This bridge pour ushers in the next phase of the design-build project, as more and more bridges begin to move to construction.
Bridging Kentucky’s Design-Build project is tasked with advancing construction of more than 100 bridges located in eastern and southeastern Kentucky. The project is part of the state’s larger Bridging Kentucky Program—a statewide initiative that represents an unprecedented commitment by the Kentucky General Assembly to improve the safety and soundness of bridges throughout the Commonwealth.
Bridging Kentucky’s unique design-build approach allows the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to bundle bridges undergoing construction in order to gain more value for the state. As the program contains a large concentration of bridges that are located east of Interstate 75, combining these bridge projects into one larger design-build program helps to reduce construction costs for the program. Furthermore, tasking a single team with building these bridges improves coordination among the tightly clustered projects and lessens the impact on travelers.
The Leslie Co. bridge is scheduled to reopen to traffic on July 24, 2020.
