Getting Started
Work
begins on
Milton-Madison Bridge project
Economic
impact on community
is topic for Dec. 7 meeting
By
Laura Hodges
Contributing Writer
(December 2010) – Although construction does
not begin in earnest until January, workers have already begun activity
on the new U.S. Hwy. 421 Milton-Madison Bridge. Most of the work in
December will take place on the Kentucky side of the river.
The bridge superstructure is due to be replaced by Sept. 15, 2012. The
$103 million contract was awarded to Walsh Construction Co. of LaPorte,
Ind.
|
How
the Bridge Replacement
Project will be done |
 |
|
Existing
bridge remains open |
 |
|
Bridge
closes to traffic for five days. |
 |
|
Temporary
bridge piers are constructed |
 |
|
Existing
bridge remains open. |
 |
|
Downstream
bridge is connected to |
 |
|
Existing bridge is demolished. |
 |
|
Traffic
remains open on downstream |
 |
|
Downstream
bridge closes for five |
In the coming weeks, workers will take geotechnical borings
near Milton, Ky. These earth samples will give information on the soil
that will support the temporary access ramps to be built just east of
the present bridge entrance in Milton. These temporary approaches will
be built in early 2011, said John Carr of Wilber Smith Associates, the
consultants hired to oversee the project. Carr is project manager for
the environmental phase of the bridge project, which is nearly complete.
The borings will also be searched for archeological artifacts. Contractors
must be sure of the archeological significance of the site before building
can proceed. Archeology work will be done by ASC Group Inc. of Columbus,
Ohio.
On the Indiana side, Walsh Construction Co. has begun setting up portable
offices in Madison’s Jaycee Park, which will serve as a staging
area throughout the two-year construction period. Construction equipment
and materials will be stored in the park, which will be closed to the
public for safety reasons.
After construction is completed, Walsh will restore the park. The company
plans to build a new picnic shelter, install new playground equipment
and basketball goals, and volleyball courts. In addition to restoring
the riverfront walk, Walsh will also construct a sidewalk in Jaycee
Park on the north side of Vaughn Drive.
Another milestone for the bridge planning will take place on Dec. 7
when members of the Section 106 Consulting Parties – the preservation
consultation group – will meet at Clifty Inn.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss changes to initial agreement
previously negotiated between the governmental entities for building
the bridge and those who have an interest in preserving the affected
communities of Madison and Milton.
Changes are needed because many of the commitments made in the document
were based on the belief that the bridge would be closed for a year
or more. With innovative construction techniques, Walsh Construction
intends to close the bridge only 10 days during the 21-month construction
period.
Local representatives of the Section 106 team say they are pleased that
the document on the table for discussion retains all of the mitigation
funding that had been agreed to earlier. If agreed to by all parties,
this funding will include:
• Up to $205,000 for a heritage tourism and promotional marketing
effort for Madison;
• Up to $40,000 for tourism and promotional marketing assistance
for Milton;
• Up to $80,000 over two years to reimburse the Madison Main Street
Program for helping businesses on both sides of the river adjust to
market disruption caused by bridge construction;
n Up to $80,000 over two years to hire a Madison Historic Preservation
Officer.
Money for these four items will be paid jointly by the Indiana Department
of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
“They basically said ‘Yes, there is still an impact on the
community,’ ” said Jan Vetrhus, a member of the Section 106
Consulting Parties who chairs the city of Madison’s mitigation
committee. She is eager to see approval of the agreement at the meeting
so the city can begin its mitigation effort, including hiring a preservation
officer to serve during 2011 and 2012.
The meeting will also address the question of ferries. The discussion
document proposes that no ferry service is needed because of the short
closures – just two periods of five days each. Carr said, however,
that there is another proposal that ferries be provided only for emergency
vehicles during the five-day closures. No decision has been reached.
After agreement is reached on all the mitigation measures, Carr said
his firm will complete the environmental document. That will occur no
later than Jan. 31.
Contractors will hold a public meeting sometime in January, when there
is more information available about construction techniques and schedules.
Walsh Construction is using a “design-build” technique that
will allow the bridge to be built more quickly than conventional techniques.
“Design-build” means that construction of the bridge will
begin while designers are completing their drawings for future phases
of bridge construction. The concept effectively telescopes the construction
timeline.
Walsh is also going to use an innovative bridge-sliding technique that
will use hydraulics to pull the entire 3,181-foot truss and roadway
onto the existing piers after it is constructed on temporary supports.
It is this technique that is allowing Walsh limit bridge closure to
only 10 days – five in spring 2011 and five later in the construction
process to slide the new superstructure into place atop the modernized
existing piers. It has been described as the largest bridge-sliding
project in North America.