By Michael Kennedy
Although Eastern Parkway near the University of Louisville was originally scheduled to reopen by January, it is still closed for construction. And it is not expected to reopen for months. The roadwork in front of the Speed School of Engineering was finished by the New Year, but the Eastern Parkway bridge is not anticipated to reopen until June.
According to John Drees, U of L spokesman, the bridge was regarded as one of the 10 most structurally deficient bridges in Kentucky, and the bridge’s structure is being repaired by this extensive project. Still, the bridge was in worse condition than previously thought.
According to a spokesman for Mac Construction and Excavation, the contractor working on the bridge, workers began to notice the full level of deterioration after the piers supporting the bridge were removed. At this point, workers could see up into the joints of the bridge. Over the years, salt had worn away at the diaphragm and, were it not fixed, the integrity of the structure would have been compromised.
“A lot of that you can’t see from the outside, until you get inside the bridge itself, underneath the deck,” said Andrea Clifford, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “They found more deterioration there than was originally thought.”
A spokesman for the contractor cited the bridge’s age as a factor for its condition.
“It isn’t going to be new after 50 years of wear from just sitting there,” he said. “There’s going to be wear and tear on it too.”
Drees said there were never any incidents because of the condition of the bridge, and the spokesman for the contractor said there was no danger from the bridge’s condition.
“There wasn’t a threat,” the spokesman for Mac Construction and Excavation said. “If this went on for another 50 years or something, it would have [become a threat]. At no time would I say it was a threat. But it was something that needed to be addressed.’
Eastern Parkway has been severed since Sept. 8, 2009, when it was closed from Third Street through the bridge. A median was installed in front of Speed School to discourage jaywalkers, along with other improvements. That portion of the road reopened in late December. Clifford said all that work is done, save for new sod that must be planted in warmer weather.
But students will hear the sounds of heavy machinery for a semester more. Clifford explained that there were two factors contributing to the bridge reopening in June: the amount of extra work needed, and warmer weather required for some of the concrete work.
“We’re anticipating June, based on the winter conditions and the amount of work that needs to be done,” said Clifford.
While Eastern Parkway has been closed, the Old Eastern Parkway viaduct under the Eastern Parkway bridge has also been closed, sealing an entrance into campus. Some workers in the Fairfax Building, a building sitting partially beneath the Eastern Parkway bridge, were temporarily forced to relocate. But they have since moved back into their offices.
Drees acknowledged that the university has received a few complaints about the roadwork, but said most feedback seems to be understanding.
“Clearly it’s an inconvenience, for our students and our faculty and staff,” said Drees. “But…the university community has been quite positive about it, and said, ‘We’ll make the best of the situation.'”
Funding for the project came from state bridge maintenance funds, while the work done in front of Speed School was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
