GREENUP, Ky. –  Starting on Thursday, motorists should expect flagged traffic and delays on U.S. 23 at Russell this week for bridge work on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s KY 244 viaduct replacement project in Greenup County.

Beginning Thursday, contractors will install concrete forms atop the new KY 244 overpass on U.S. 23 just north of the Ironton-Russell bridge intersection. The installation includes welding above U.S. 23 travel lanes.

To protect vehicles, all U.S. 23 traffic will be stopped for 10–15 minutes multiple times each day Thursday, Friday, and possibly several days next week, while welding crews work overhead. Flagged traffic is also possible on the existing Russell viaduct.

Crews will try to keep traffic impacts brief, but 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 during construction.

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.