About Russell Viaduct
History
The Russell Viaduct was constructed in 1937-38 2 to replace an at-grade crossing and carry US Route 23 over the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. The alignment, which snaked through narrow city streets and an underpass, was bypassed with a four-lane alignment in 1957. 1 KY Route 244 was re-designed over the viaduct.
Planning to either replace or rehabilitate the then-72-year-old Russell Viaduct began in 2010, with consultants, local officials, and the public weighing in on alternatives. 3 Following a public meeting in 2012, 4 which unveiled alternatives for the project, it was decided to replace the crossing to realign the eastern terminus with a rebuilt US Route 23 and KY Route 750 intersection and avoid the complicated intersection that existed with the Oakley Clark Collins Memorial Bridge. 3
A low-bid contract of $20.6 million was awarded to Triton Construction in March 2020, 4 and construction of the new Russell Viaduct began on May 4. 3 A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the new $24 million Russell Viaduct on November 3, 2021, and opened to traffic on November 19. 5
Structure
Dimensions & Classification
| Total Length | 1,095 feet |
|---|---|
| Main Span | 80 feet |
| Deck Width | 32 feet |
| Roadway Width | 26 feet |
Photographs
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Sources & Citations
References for this location, in MLA format.
- “Ashland-Portsmouth (Russell By-Pass) Road.” Project Archives, 1957. ↗
- “US -23 (Grade, Drain, and Surface).” Project Archives, 1937. ↗
- “Russell to get new bridge.” Ironton Tribune, 22 Apr. 2020.
- Blair, Allen. “Russell Viaduct Project.” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, ↗
- Romans, Charles. “Ribbon cutting on flyover bridge.” Daily Independent, 3 Nov. 2021.
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