US 23 Little Sandy River Bridge update

The Little Sandy River Bridge that formerly carried U.S. Route 23 in Greenup, Kentucky was down to the main truss span as of January 1. New abutments for a two lane bridge are in place.

A widened approach is also being constructed.

I still have concerns over the trusses – which date to 1884, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The crossing was used only 883 times a day in 1999, which is minimal, and could have been retained as a pedestrian span, with Kentucky State Route 2 and U.S. Route 23 used as a detour – adding no more miles and saving taxpayers nearly $5 million.

I also took the opportunity to photograph the four span plate girder bridge that carries CSX (ex-C&O) adjacent to the former U.S. Route 23 and current U.S. Route 23 bridge. It was most likely constructed in the mid 1920s as part of a railroad elevation project.

Further Reading

• Little Sandy River Bridge (Formerly US 23)
• Little Sandy River Bridge (CSX)