OHIO CO., KY (WFIE) -
The
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has posted a reduced the load limit on
KY 505 in Ohio County.
The load limit was prompted by oversized loads
striking and damaging an overpass that crosses the Wendell Ford-Western
Kentucky Parkway.
KYTC
District 2 Chief Engineer Kevin McClearn says the overpass at KY 505 mile point
6.487 is now restricted to a 10-ton load limit.
"As
part of our normal inspection efforts, our engineers found that this overpass
has been struck on several occasions by trucks hauling loads that exceeded the
normal height limit," McClearn said. "These loads traveling the WK
Parkway have damaged the bridge structure. That has required the lowering
of the load limit on KY 505 at this site to 10 tons."
McClearn
said that truck drivers are required to check the height of their loads and
assure that loads will clear all overpasses along their planned route.
"Trucks
hitting the bridge support structure have caused extensive damage to
reinforcing steel. Our bridge engineering staff will be evaluating the
bridge to determine what action might be required to correct the problem,"
McClearn said.
The
overpass is located at mile point 6.487 on KY 505 in Ohio County between
Fairview Lane and Mount Pleasant Road. It is at Western KY Parkway mile
point 82.112. A KYTC sign crew will post the load limit in the near
future.
McClearn
said truck drivers who have gone through training required to get a commercial
driver's license (CDL) are aware of their responsibility to monitor the height
of what they haul. Anyone with information on trucks with loads
that may have struck the overpass should contact the Ohio County Sheriff or
Kentucky State Police.
Engineers believe the overpass may have been
struck by log trucks traveling on the WK Parkway with loads stacked higher than
allowed by law. McClearn says the damage to the bridge is extensive
enough that the driver of each truck involved would have felt a significant
jolt from the impact.
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