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Initial Construction Phase for Eggners Ferry Repairs Nearly Complete

From the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet:

Hall Contracting of Kentucky reports the initial phase of steel assembly as part of efforts to place a new span on the US 68/KY 80 Eggners Ferry Bridge at Aurora is nearing completion.

Today, a crew is checking and tightening the 14,000 bolts required to connect beams that make up the 322 ft. replacement truss.  Once all bolts are placed and torqued to specifications, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Inspectors will run a safety-check on a substantial number of the bolts to assure they are properly secured.

Due to the intense level of work at the riverport, police have secured the area as a safety measure.  No unauthorized personnel will be allowed to enter the riverport.

A tow boat and 2 barges have arrived at the site to prepare to transport the span from the assembly yard to the bridge.  That move, expected to be scheduled later his week, will be highly weather dependent. 

Once loading is complete, the boat will make the roughly 30-mile trip from the Eddyville Riverport down Lake Barkley, through the LBL Canal, then up Kentucky Lake to Aurora.

Hall Contracting has a $7 million contract to replace the missing span with a requirement that the bridge be reopened to traffic by Memorial Day weekend. Hall Contracting faces a $50,000 penalty for each day the company goes beyond the May 27th opening deadline. 

The US 68/KY 80 Eggners Ferry Bridge has been closed since January 26th when the 8200 ton cargo ship Delta Mariner slammed into the bridge and knocked a single 322 ft. span into Kentucky Lake.

Shelly Baskin works in MSU's Office of Regional Outreach and is a graduate student in Occupational Safety and Health. A roustabout from Memphis, Tennessee, Shelly first found his way into WKMS through the newsroom back in 2011 through luck, charm and force of will. Though he left news for another position, he still enjoys working on independent radio projects and volunteering for the station. He’s an avid disc golfer and occasional real golfer and is terrible at both. A lover of all things musical, Shelly is always ready to hear something new and unique.
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