CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Starting on Sept. 16, the Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge will undergo construction to restore the surface of the bridge. The bridge connects Ironton, Ohio with Russell, Kentucky.

What You Need To Know

  • The current surface is about about eight years old, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation

  • Approximately 1.25 inches of the surface will be milled off and replaced with the new material

  • The closure is expected to last 30 days

The current surface is about about eight years old, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. The life-span of the cable-stayed bridge itself is about 80 years.

“We didn’t want to wait until the surface had passed its expected lifespan to make these critical repairs,” said Ohio Department of Transportation District 9 Deputy Director Mike Dombrowski in a news release. “Doing this preventative maintenance project now means the work isn’t as extensive as it might have been had we waited.”

Approximately 1.25 inches of the surface will be milled off and replaced with the new material. 

Because of the bridge's narrowness, a partial rehab in order to keep one lane open was not feasible, ODOT said in a news release.

“We know this will be an inconvenience to folks who use this bridge, but we want to ensure that we’re getting the best outcome from the project to maximize the life of the bridge deck, going forward,” Dombrowski said.

The closure is expected to last 30 days. 

Traffic headed to Kentucky during the closure will detour to Park Avenue (SR 93), east on US 52, south over the Ohio River on the Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge (12th Street) and west on Winchester Avenue (US 23) in Ashland.

Traffic from Kentucky into Ohio will detour via Winchester Avenue (US 23) to the Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge (13th Street), west on US 52 and south on Park Avenue (SR 93).