Road work 4/23/13

Work on Ohio River bridge to restrict truck traffic this summer

PADUCAH, Ky. -- The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is reviewing bids for a planned project that will affect truck traffic on the U.S. 51 Ohio River Bridge between Wickliffe, Ky., and Cairo, Ill. Trucks will have to be rerouted for approximately 70 days beginning in June. "We're reviewing bids this week for repairs on bridge deck stringers and replacement of seven joints on the bridge decking," said Cabinet District 1 chief engineer Jim LeFevre. "This bridge maintenance project will require trucks to be excluded from the bridge during the work starting sometime after June 10," he said. Excluding trucks from the work zone will turn a 6-mile trip from Wickliffe to Cairo into a 80-mile detour. In making the announcement now, LeFevre said, "We want to give area farmers and industries as much notice as possible so that they may begin planning their route adjustments." By maintaining passenger vehicle traffic, commuters who travel between Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri still will be able to travel to and from work. While the project is scheduled for 70 working-days, LeFevre said engineers are optimistic it can be completed more quickly if the weather cooperates. Once a winning bid is selected, the contractor will meet with cabinet engineers to set a project schedule with a specific start date sometime after June 10. Also known as the Cairo Bridge, the U.S. 51 Ohio River Bridge also carries U.S. 60 and U.S. 62 between Kentucky and Illinois. It connects with the U.S. 60/U.S. 62 Mississippi River Bridge, which carries traffic between Illinois and Missouri.

Route AF in Stoddard County reduced for pipe replacement

Route AF in Stoddard County, between Sadler Lane and County Road 624, will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a culvert pipe under the roadway. Work will take place from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

All work is weather permitting. Work zones will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near those areas. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636 or visit modot.org/southeast.

-- From the Missouri Department of Transportation

Jackson street crews re-stripe roadways

Jackson crews will soon be working throughout the city to restripe roadways, according to Public Works director Rodney Bollinger. Weather permitting, painting crews will work from mid-April through June. Safety measures including warning signs, flashing lights and barricades will be in place during each the operations. Motorists are urged to use caution and allow workers and their machinery the space needed to properly reapply paint to areas such as centerlines, stopping bars, turn arrows, parking spaces and crosswalks. For more information, contact street superintendent Steve Hendrix at 243-8280 or Bollinger at 243-2300.