Greenup Bridge

Kentucky

Total Length 423 feet
Main Span 139 feet
Status Replaced

The now-demolished Greenup Bridge carried US Route 23 over the Little Sandy River in Greenup, Kentucky.

The one-lane Greenup Bridge was constructed in 1884 by the King Iron Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio. 5 6 It was bypassed in 1952 when US Route 23 was placed on a new alignment to bypass downtown Greenup.

The bridge was rehabilitated in 1954 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. 6 It was closed to traffic in September 2003 because of structural deterioration. The bridge was slated for removal in January 2004, 2 but the process was halted due to objections from area residents. 3 It was one of the oldest King Bridge Company crossings and the second-longest multi-span, pin-connected truss bridges in the state. 6

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet offered three replacement alternatives, including a no-build option. One option would replace the crossing with a two-lane concrete bridge at a cost of $2 million and reconstruct Washington Street from US Route 23 to downtown Greenup at a cost of $1.4 million. 1 Several residents advocated that the bridge be converted into a pedestrian-only facility.2

In September 2011, American Contracting and Services was awarded a $4.7 million contract to demolish the Greenup Bridge and replace it with a two-lane concrete bridge. 4

Dimensions & Classification

Structural FormThrough Truss — Pratt
Total Length423 feet
Main Span139 feet
Deck Width15.5 feet
Vertical Clearance17 feet
ConnectionsPin-connected

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References for this location, in MLA format.

  1. “Meeting set to discuss bridge replacement.” 5 Mar. 2005. ↗
  2. Fields, Ben. “Greenup business owner meets with engineer, state official.” 10 Dec. 2003. ↗
  3. Hart, Kenneth. “State to build new bridge in Greenup.” 06 June 2005. ↗
  4. “Bid Awarded for New Downtown Greenup Bridge.” 6 Sept. 2011. ↗
  5. “KY 2541 Bridge.” Kentucky Historic Resources, 1987. ↗