White Mills Bridge carries KY Route 1866 over the Nolin River in White Mills, Kentucky.
Aaron Hart constructed a grist mill, referred to as White Mills for the fine white powder that was produced, along the Nolin River in Hardin County in 1834. A wooden covered structure was built adjacent by Wortham and Richardson in 1889, 4 which was replaced by a steel structure from the Champion Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio, in 1899. 5 The crossing later became a part of KY Route 84. In 1937, it underwent rehabilitation and was bypassed by a new alignment of KY Route 84 in 1964.
In June 2011, the bridge was closed to traffic due to structural deterioration and damage to the roadway deck. 1 Despite initial repairs being planned for the following year, 1 the discovery of further damage and its low permitted weight capacity of 2.1 tons led to a sense of urgency. 3 Initial bids for repairs and painting exceeded engineering estimates of $778,000 by $122,000 and were rejected, 3 but a contract for the work was eventually awarded to Adelphi Inc. for $763,857 in March 2012. 2 The renovations were completed in 2013.
Details
- State: Kentucky
- Route: KY Route 1866
- Status: Active (Automobile)
- Type: Pratt Through Truss
- Total Length: 198 feet
- Main Span Length: 128 feet
- Deck Width: 13.4 feet
- Above Vertical Clearance: 13.8 feet
- Navigational Clearance:
Sources
- Coulter, Amber. “White Mills bridge closed.” News-Enterprise, 28 Jun. 2011.
- Finley, Marty. “Contract awarded for White Mills bridge repairs.” News-Enterprise, 10 Mar. 2012.
- Finley, Marty. “White Mills bridge work expected to be awarded next week.” News-Enterprise, 1 Mar. 2012.
- “Bridges and Iron Structures.” Engineering and Building Record, 16 Feb. 1889, p. 153.
- Plaque.