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Laurel Gorge Bridge

Laurel Gorge Bridge

The Laurel Gorge Bridge is located on a former alignment of KY Route 7 over the Little Sandy River near Sandy Hook, Kentucky.


The Laurel Gorge Bridge, a Parker through truss, was constructed in 1930 as part of a project to construct a hard surfaced highway between Sandy Hook and Morehead. The substructure and approaches were built by the James Hughes Construction Company of Ravenna at the cost of $16,535, while the steel superstructure was awarded to the Vincennes Bridge Company of Indiana at the cost of $16,250. 2 Upon opening, the bridge was designated for KY Routes 7 and 32.

The Laurel Gorge Bridge was bypassed with a high-level girder structure in May 1999, with the old alignment re-designated as County Route 1206. In later years, the bridge was closed to through traffic because of structural deterioration, although it continued to serve as a conduit for local utilities. 1

Work began in May 2021 by Intech Contracting LLC to rehabilitate the circa 1930 Laurel Gorge Bridge to allow it to reopen to traffic. 1 The $989,000 project, funded through Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Bridging Kentucky program, included adding splice or reinforcement plates, replacing rivets, strengthening steel beams, guardrail replacement, new expansion joints, and a fresh coat of paint. Upon its reopening in early autumn, the Laurel Gorge Bridge’s weight limit was increased to 15 tons.

Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge
Laurel Gorge Bridge

Information

  • State: Kentucky
  • Route: County Route 1206
  • Type: Parker Through Truss
  • Status: Active - Automobile
  • Total Length: 208 feet
  • Main Span Length: 184 feet
  • Deck Width: 21 feet
  • Roadway Width: 20 feet
  • Above Vertical Clearance: 16.40 feet


Sources

  1. “$989,000 awarded to Elliott County to restore and reopen Old Laurel Gorge Bridge.” The Lane Report. 29 May 2021.
  2. “Bridge Contracts Let.” Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 1930, p. 4.

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