The Ironton–Russell Bridge can refer to either one of two bridges that carry/carried traffic along the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

between Ironton, Ohio and Russell, Kentucky in the United States. The original purple cantilever Ironton-Russell Bridge, opened in 1922 and closed in 2016, carried two lanes of traffic and a narrow sidewalk. The new white cable-stayed bridge, officially named the Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge, has two lanes of traffic without a dedicated sidewalk and opened on November 23, 2016.

History

In 2000, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) released a report recommending the replacement of the then 78-year-old original span. The bridge was retrofitted in the 1970s with strengthening beams and plates. Later inspection of the bridge revealed that these plates had been welded to the bridge using techniques that violated the bridge welding codes and reduced the fatigue strength of primary load members. As a result of these findings, ODOT added reinforcements to some vertical members to improve structural redundancy. The original span was still forced to close when temperatures approach -5 degrees Fahrenheit due to the brittle nature of the steel used. Continuous monitoring was routine during temperatures below freezing to check for any cracking in the substructure of the span. In addition, in May 2008, ODOT placed a width restriction on the bridge, banning all vehicles wider than 7 ft. 6 in. Emergency vehicles, non-commercial vehicles and non-profit buses (such as

school bus A school bus is any type of bus owned, leased, contracted to, or operated by a school or school district. It is regularly used to transport students to and from school or school-related activities, but not including a charter bus or transit bus ...

es) were exempt from the restriction. ODOT authorized both Ohio and Kentucky law enforcement agencies to enforce the restriction. One of the replacements considered was a three-lane single-tower cable suspension bridge. The final design was chosen in January 2003, however, the high costs of constructing the bridge became apparent when costs for the new bridge came in at $110 million, well over the original estimated cost. The sharp rise was attributed to the dramatic increase in construction costs partially blamed on

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

, which increased the cost of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

materials and items derived from

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

products. The bridge was redesigned as a two tower cable-stayed bridge, was reduced from three lanes to two and does not have a dedicated pedestrian walkway. Construction on the replacement span began in March 2012. Unlike the original bridge, which connects downtown Ironton with downtown Russell, the new bridge connects downtown Ironton directly with

U.S. 23 } U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has since ...

and KY 244 within the city limits of Russell just south of downtown. The new bridge opened on November 23, 2016 with a ceremony and parade through Ironton and Russell that included crossing both the new and original structures. As part of the ceremony, the new bridge was officially named for the late Oakley C. Collins, who represented Lawrence County in both the Ohio House of Representatives and the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

. The original bridge remained open during construction and was permanently closed at the completion of the dedication ceremony and parade. Demolition of the original structure began in December 2016 and was completed in June 2017. The Russell approach got partly removed with some concrete demolished for the opening of the new Russell Viaduct in 2021.

History

See also

References

Further reading