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| Demolition of the old Ledbetter Bridge continues |
The contractor has removed all of the concrete decking from the three truss spans and has started removing decking on the eastern approach spans at the Livingston County end of the 83-year-old structure. The demolition crew is using a ram mounted on a trackhoe to break up the concrete decking.
The contractor submitted a demolition plan to the U.S. Coast Guard for approval about a month ago. The Coast Guard shared the plan with a river industry trade group and federal agencies for their input. This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicated they would like to have more input on the project. At this time, the Corps of Engineers is asking for some additional time to review the plan.
The contractor has indicated that removing the remaining deck from the structure will keep their crew busy for up to a month. However, once the demolition plan gains approval by the various agencies, they can be prepared to use explosives to remove sections of the bridge truss within a couple of weeks.
KyTC has indicated they will provide updates on the progress every week or two as the work progresses. The demolition contract calls for all of the bridge to be removed by Dec. 1.
The old Ledbetter Bridge opened to traffic in 1931. It was restricted to a 3-ton load limit while construction of the new U.S. 60 Tennessee River Bridge at Ledbetter was expedited. Traffic was moved to the new bridge in July 2013.
Two western approach spans on the old Ledbetter Bridge dropped several inches at the end of April this year. The approaches were eventually brought down by land slippage along a bluff on the McCracken County side of the Tennessee River that moved two of the land-base support piers on the bridge. That land movement prompted transportation officials to expedite demolition of the old bridge.
