Reusing Piers at the Milton-Madison Bridge

First opened in 1929, the Milton-Madison Bridge connects the historic communities of Madison, Ind., and Milton, Ky., and is one of the few Ohio River crossings between Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati, Oh. Besides the Milton-Madison Bridge, the next closest bridge is located on the Markland Dam, some 26 miles away. In its 80 years of existence, the original steel truss bridge had far exceeded its useful life. Despite multiple rehabilitations, the bridge's 20-ft-wide road deck was too narrow to handle the 10,000+ vehicles that cross it every day. Also, a biennial inspection indicated advanced deterioration of various components, including gusset plates, forcing the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to impose a 15-ton weight limit on the structure. In August 2008, KYTC and the Indiana Department of Transportation combined resources to initiate a project to remove and replace the 3,180-ft-long deteriorating bridge.