RUSSELL, Ky. – Motorists should expect delays and occasional stopped traffic Monday on U.S. 23 at Russell for additional steel work on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s KY 244 viaduct replacement project in Greenup County.

On Monday, from 7 a.m.–6 p.m., steelworkers will be working on overhead steel beams at the new viaduct bridge across U.S. 23 just north of the KY 244 intersection at Russell. Both northbound and southbound U.S. 23 will be restricted to one lane, and flaggers will stop traffic at various times throughout the day.

While crews will try to keep traffic impacts brief, significant backups are likely on the heavily-traveled highway – as many as 20,000 vehicles a day use U.S. 23 – as well as on the Ironton-Russell bridge. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes.

The $20.6 million Russell viaduct replacement project includes building a new KY 244 looping westward from U.S. 23 to a new flyover bridge across U.S. 23 and the railroad tracks on the river side to touch down where the old viaduct bridge connects to Bellefonte Street in downtown Russell.

Construction will continue through this summer. To learn more, view flyover diagrams and get project updates, link to District 9’s “Russell Viaduct Project” at https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine or bookmark the web page at https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictNine/Pages/RussellViaduct.aspx.