Traffic Switch Scheduled for May 5 on Carroll Cropper Bridge

Eastbound traffic will shift from left to right lane on the bridge as repairs continue

(Petersburg, Ky) - Motorists should expect a rolling roadblock on Interstate 275 eastbound (from Indiana to Kentucky) near the Carroll Cropper Memorial Bridge on Monday, May 5.

Weather permitting, the rolling roadblock will take place between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m, switching traffic from the left lane to the right lane at the bridge approach to the main span. Traffic will be slowed, and at times stopped, to provide a safe working area for crews to switch traffic.

The majority of T-1 steel repairs have been completed on the bridge. This traffic switch will allow crews a safe area to continue working on the expansion joint repairs. KYTC will provide further updates once the floor beam repairs begin.

Project Background

Aligned with Team Kentucky’s mission to ensure a safe transportation system for the traveling public, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) began steel repairs in mid-January on the Carroll Cropper Memorial Bridge, which spans the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana. Motorists should expect lane closures through late summer 2025.

This bridge repair project follows a federally required inspection of older bridges across the country built with “T-1” steel – a high-strength, quenched and treated steel known for being highly amenable to welding and machining. Potential issues had been found in other states with certain types of welds, which needed to be tested.

During a 2023 inspection on the Carroll Cropper bridge, engineering firm Michael Baker International tested 600 welds and identified 15 locations that would need future repairs but posed no immediate safety issues. Consultants and KYTC engineers collaborated to create a repair plan to prevent potential fractures and address these findings. These repairs will ensure the bridge can be safely traveled well into the future.

In December 2024, KYTC bridge engineering analysis showed that other repairs – unrelated to T-1 steel issues - would be needed for an expansion joint and floor beam. A reduced weight limit and lane restrictions were put in place as a precaution and to prevent further damage. The expansion joint and floor beam repairs have now been added to the T-1 steel project to expedite those repairs.

An expansion joint is a component of the bridge deck, or travel surface, that allows for thermal expansion and contraction due to changes in weather to prevent concrete from cracking.

Once the floor beam repairs are completed, KYTC will lift the emergency vehicle weight limit imposed last December.

A reduced speed limit of 55 miles-per-hour is in effect within the project area until repairs are finished. Overweight and over-dimensional vehicles remain prohibited due to current lane restrictions.

M & M Services Inc. is contracted to perform the $3.6 million project on behalf of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Weather permitting, the overall project has an expected completion date of summer 2025.

Additional Restrictions

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, KYTC implemented weight limits for emergency vehicles and temporary lane restrictions on the I-275 Carroll Cropper Memorial Bridge.

While the bridge remains safe for passenger vehicles, a recent inspection found deterioration in some of its steel.

New Emergency Vehicle Weight Limits:

• Single Axle: 16 tons
• Tandem Axle: 23 tons
• Gross Weight: 31 tons

The weight reduction will not impact commercial vehicle traffic due to semi-trucks having more axles to distribute the weight.

Overweight Over-Dimensional vehicles are not permitted on the bridge at this time due to current lane restrictions.

The date, time, and duration of work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur.