Ironton–Russell Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ironton–Russell Bridge (current) |
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New Ironton-Russell Bridge under construction
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| Coordinates | 38°31′33″N 82°41′07″W / 38.5257°N 82.6852°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes |
| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Locale | Ironton, Ohio and Russell, Kentucky |
| Official name | Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge |
| Maintained by | Ohio Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Material | Concrete |
| Longest span | 902 feet (275 m) |
| History | |
| Construction end | Autumn 2016 |
| Opened | November 23, 2016 |
The Ironton–Russell Bridge is actually two bridges that have connected Ironton, Ohio and Russell, Kentucky across the Ohio River. The first bridge, which was light-blue, opened in 1922. It was a type of bridge called a cantilever bridge, meaning it was built with strong arms sticking out from its supports. It had two lanes for cars and a narrow sidewalk. This old bridge closed in 2016. The new bridge is white and is a cable-stayed bridge, which means it uses strong cables connected to tall towers to hold up the road. It also has two lanes but no special sidewalk. This new bridge officially opened on November 23, 2016, and is named the Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge.
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Bridge History
In 2000, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) looked at the original Ironton–Russell Bridge. It was 78 years old by then. They suggested building a new bridge because the old one was getting old and had some problems.
| Ironton–Russell Bridge (former) | |
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Original Ironton-Russell Bridge
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| Carries | 2 lanes |
| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Locale | Ironton, Ohio and Russell, Kentucky |
| Maintained by | Ohio Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever bridge |
| Longest span | 722 feet (220 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | August 1922 |
| Closed | November 23, 2016 (demolished 2016-2017) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | Former |
Challenges with the Old Bridge
The old bridge had some repairs in the 1970s. Workers added strengthening beams and plates. However, later checks showed that the way these plates were welded was not correct. This made the bridge weaker over time. Because of this, ODOT added more support to some parts of the bridge.
The original bridge also had to close when the temperature dropped very low, around -5 degrees Fahrenheit. This was because the steel used in the bridge could become brittle and crack in extreme cold. Workers had to check the bridge often when it was freezing.
In May 2008, ODOT put a rule on the bridge: no vehicles wider than 7 feet, 6 inches could cross. This rule helped keep the bridge safe. Emergency vehicles, regular cars, and school buses were still allowed to cross. Police from Ironton and Russell, along with state police, helped make sure people followed this rule.
Designing the New Bridge
When planning the new bridge, one idea was a three-lane bridge with one tall tower. But in January 2003, they chose a different design. They decided on a two-tower cable-stayed bridge. This design uses strong cables that stretch from tall towers to hold up the bridge deck.
Building a new bridge was going to be expensive. The cost was estimated at $110 million, which was much higher than first thought. This increase happened partly because of Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane caused the cost of building materials like concrete and oil-based products to go up a lot.
Because of the high costs, the new bridge was redesigned. It was changed from three lanes to two. It also did not include a separate walkway for people to cross.
Building and Opening the New Bridge
Construction on the new bridge began in March 2012. The new bridge connects downtown Ironton directly to major roads like U.S. 23 and KY 244 in Russell. This was different from the old bridge, which connected the downtown areas of both cities.
The new bridge opened on November 23, 2016. There was a special ceremony and a parade in both Ironton and Russell. People even got to walk across both the new and old bridges during the event.
As part of the ceremony, the new bridge was officially named the Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge. It was named after Oakley C. Collins, who was a politician from Lawrence County, Ohio. He served in both the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate.
The old bridge stayed open while the new one was being built. It was permanently closed right after the dedication ceremony and parade for the new bridge. Workers started taking down the old bridge in December 2016, and the demolition was finished by June 2017.
