Traffic rerouted onto blue bridge

On Saturday afternoon, all traffic in and out of Ashland was rerouted across the blue 13th Street bridge as the green 12th Street bridge is closed for two months so crews can do maintenance work.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said contractors had expected to start on Sunday, but moved the preventative maintenance project ahead one day because of a rainy forecast.

Early on Saturday, crews repainted line markings and reposition traffic lights on the blue bridge to convert it for two-way traffic. Motorists should watch for lane closures and flaggers on the bridge, 13th Street and Winchester Avenue in Ashland and on U.S. 52 on the Ohio side.

The traffic pattern will be the same as in 2013 after the green bridge was closed after a semi truck struck one of its support beams.

The bridge is being closed because after engineers analyzed the bridge’s concrete pavement and determined that a concrete overlay and new deck joints were necessary to prevent future deterioration of the roadway and safeguard the bridge’s ability to handle its traffic load.

The bridge is too narrow for crews to work in one lane with traffic in the other lane.

By afternoon, all the traffic should be shifted to the blue bridge If there are heavy rains or storms the bridge closure could be delayed one week.

Either way, following traffic patterns will be:

OHIO TO KENTUCKY

• Motorists crossing the Ohio River from U.S. 52 in Ohio to U.S. 23 or U.S. 60 in Kentucky will proceed through the traffic lights and onto the 13th Street bridge. The far right lane will be used for Kentucky-bound traffic.

• At the end of the 13th Street bridge in Kentucky, traffic will be split into two right-turn only lanes that MUST turn right onto U.S. 23-Winchester Avenue.

• For U.S. 60 west, follow U.S. 23 north and turn left at the next light (12th Street). For U.S. 23 north, proceed straight. For U.S. 23 south or U.S. 60 east, proceed straight and then turn right at 11th Street following the truck route to Greenup Avenue.

KENTUCKY TO OHIO

• Motorists crossing the Ohio River from U.S. 23 in Kentucky to U.S. 52 in Ohio will proceed straight on 13th Street in Ashland onto the bridge as usual. All traffic crossing to Ohio will be restricted to the two right lanes. Turns and signals for U.S. 52 are not affected.