Traffic configuration change to take about 4 hours starting at 10 a.m., CST
PADUCAH, Ky. (January 19, 2024) – A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) plans an eastbound work zone traffic shift on the Interstate 24 Tennessee River Bridge near the 29 mile marker on Monday, January 22, 2024.
Starting around 10 a.m., CST, the contractor will be shifting traffic to a new configuration, with all traffic moved to the left-hand or passing lane on the bridge. The traffic shift is expected to take about four hours to complete.
Appropriate caution is required where equipment, flaggers, and personnel are along the roadway in close proximity to traffic flow while traffic control equipment and signage are being reworked.
Local eastbound commuters that travel this section of I-24 are asked to self-detour via U.S. 62 and KY 453 between Calvert City Exit 27 and Grand Rivers Exit 31 to help reduce delays while traffic is being reconfigured on Monday.
This is the second of several traffic phases for this major bridge rehab project that will continue through 2024. The initial work is for joint replacement, to be followed by cleaning and painting of the steel arch, as well as other general bridge maintenance work.
There will be additional work zone restrictions and traffic shifts in phases about every 20 days for the first three months of the bridge rehab project. The work zone will eventually include westbound traffic restrictions expected to start around January 29.
The work zone includes a 55 mile-per-hour speed limit, enhanced enforcement, and double fines. The work zone features interactive traffic monitoring with portable message boards to automatically alert motorists should traffic backups develop.
Please be alert for frequent updates on the traffic configuration as the work progresses.
Spartan Contracting is the prime contractor on this $16,353,000 bridge rehabilitation and maintenance project. The target completion date for all work is December 1, 2024.
The Interstate 24 Tennessee River Bridge consists of twin tied-arch suspension bridges at I-24 mile point 29.352 at the Marshall-Livingston County Line.
The 2,017 ft. bridge with a 534 ft. main span is also known as the Luther Draffen Bridge. The bridge opened to traffic in 1974. The twin structures carry approximately 30,000 vehicles across the Tennessee River in an average day.
The bridge is at Tennessee River navigation mile point 21.1, about a mile below Kentucky Dam.
