University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
After six years of debates and preparations, the
Weisenberger Mill bridge was removed from its moorings with a 550-ton crane at
around 11 a.m. Friday.
A handful of spectators gathered to watch the crane lift the
84-year-old bridge over the corner of the mill and onto a trailer bed. Many
spectators were part of the Weisenberger family who had come to see the bridge
that they had known all their lives to be lifted and hauled away.
Among them was Phil Weisenberger, who manages the
family-owned mill. He said the bridge “had always been there, and it was strange to leave, but time marches on.”
Doug
Elam, a neighbor to the bridge on the Woodford County side of South Elkhorn
Creek, said “It Looked like the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day parade with a balloon” as the crane slowly swung the bridge
through the air on a sunny morning.
Crane operator Joe Fisher visits with Kristey and Susan Weisenberger after "picking" the bridge. (Photo by Al Cross) |
He said the crane measured the bridge’s weight at 52,300 pounds, much heavier the 37,000-pound estimate given by Roger Wade, a structural engineer for Louisville Paving and Construction, the main contractor on the project. He said there were more asphalt and probably less rusted steel than he estimated.
The job wasn’t as easy as just picking up the bridge with
the crane, putting on the truck bed and hauling it off. The tractor-trailer was too long
to turn around, so the tractor and trailer were separated, and while the
tractor turned around, Fisher and workers flipped the trailer around. Kentucky
Utilities also had to de-energize overhead power lines for safety.
The bridge is to be rebuilt by May 2020 as most in the community requested, as a pony truss one-lane bridge much like the original. It was argued by some of the community in the decision-making process that the bridge should stay a one-lane bridge as opposed to a two-lane bridge to force southbound drivers to slow down for the sharp curve on the Woodford County side.
The bridge has been marked for either renovation or
replacement since 2010, and required public meetings and studies because it is
a state project. Woodford County is responsible for the bridge, but the state
assumed control in return for the county doing some work for the state several
years ago. Before any decision could be made, the damage from heavy
trucks forced state engineers to close the bridge on July 1, 2016.
When the work was done, the view from above the mill dam looked very different than it had since 1935. (Photo by Al Cross) |
No comments:
Post a Comment