Lake Barkley Bridge
Lake Barkley Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°48′03″N 87°58′43″W / 36.8008°N 87.9785°W |
| Carries | motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles |
| Crosses | Lake Barkley |
| Locale |   US 68 / KY 80 in Trigg County, Kentucky, United States |
| Maintained by | Kentucky Department of Transportation |
| Followed by | Barkley Dam |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | basket handle tied-arch |
| Material | Steel[1] |
| Total length | 3,805 feet (1,160 m) |
| Width | 75 feet (23 m) |
| Longest span | 550 feet (170 m) |
| No. of lanes | 4 vehicular lanes, 1 multi-use path |
| History | |
| Designer | Michael Baker International[2] |
| Constructed by | PCL Civil Construction of Denver[3] |
| Construction start | February 2015 |
| Construction cost | $128 million[4][5] |
| Opened | 1932 (original Lawrence bridge) February 12, 2018 (current bridge) |
| Inaugurated | September 25, 2019 |
| Replaces | Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge |
| Location | |
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Lake Barkley Bridge is a four-lane basket handle tied-arch bridge in western Kentucky carrying U.S. Route 68, Kentucky Route 80, and a multi-use path across Lake Barkley, permitting access from the east to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. It is illuminated with LED lights.
Current bridge
[edit]The current bridge replaced the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge, originally built in 1932. It was opened to some traffic in 2018 to allow the old bridge to be demolished.[5][6] The multi-use trail opened on September 13, 2019, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on September 25, 2019.[6][7]
The replacement was part of a project that also replaced its sister bridge, the Eggner's Ferry Bridge over Kentucky Lake. Due to their location in the New Madrid Seismic Zone and their intended use as an evacuation route during an emergency, the new bridges were designed to withstand a large earthquake, as well as meet current highway standards.[8]
Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge
[edit]The previous bridge at this location was a 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, two-lane Parker through truss bridge constructed in 1932. This bridge was named posthumously after newspaperman and former Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives Henry R. Lawrence (died 1933) of The Cadiz Record, due to his advocacy for good roads and bridges.[9] In 1962, the bridge was closed until late 1963, during which time the crossing was served by a ferry, and raised 10.5 feet (3.2 m) to allow clearance when the Cumberland River, which it crossed, was impounded and the valley flooded to create Lake Barkley.[10] It was deemed eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, as a product of the Murphy Toll Bridge Act of 1928.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ National Steel Bridge Alliance. "Lake Bridges Over Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley". American Institute of Steel Construction. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ "Land Between the Lakes Replacement Bridges". Michael Baker International. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ Stephens, Bill (February 8, 2017). "Target date set for new Lake Barkley Bridge arch placement". Morganfield, Kentucky: WMSK-FM. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Center for Innovative Financial Support. "Project Profile: Lake Bridges: Kentucky Lake Bridge & Lake Barkley Bridge". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ a b "Lake Barkley Bridge". Bridges & Tunnels. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Taylor, Henry (September 26, 2019). "Lake Barkley Bridge to Land Between the Lakes opens with biking trail". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville, Tennessee. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ "New Lake Barkley Bridge Officially Open with Today's Ribbon Cutting". Explore Kentucky Lake. September 25, 2019. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ Robson, Brad; Rust, David; McLemore, Kyle (2016). Seismic Design of the Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley Approach Spans (PDF). World Steel Bridge Symposium. American Institute of Steel Construction.
- ^ "June 16, 1933 - Henry R. Lawrence died..." Cadiz - Trigg County, Kentucky Bicentennial. June 16, 2020. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Lake Barkley Bridge". Historic Bridges. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
External links
[edit]- The Lake Bridges of Western Kentucky, a PBS documentary from KET about the new Lake Barkley and Eggner's Ferry Bridges
- New Lake Barkley Bridge on Bridges & Tunnels
- Old Lake Barkley Bridge (Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge) on Bridges & Tunnels
- Lake Barkley Bridge (Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge) on Historical Bridges
Crossings of the Cumberland River | ||||
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