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 river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

between

Ironton, Ohio Ironton is a city in Lawrence County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 10,571 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located in southern Ohio, southernmost Ohio along the Ohio River, it is northwest of Huntingt ...

and

Russell, Kentucky Russell is a home rule-class city on the south bank of the Ohio River in Greenup County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,380 as of the 2010 census, down from 3,645 in 2000. Russell is a suburb of Ashland and part of the Hunti ...

in the United States. The original blue 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.

Original bridge

The original purple cantilever Ironton–Russell Bridge opened in 1922. It carried two lanes of traffic and a narrow sidewalk. 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 Student transport, transport students to and from school or school-related activities, but not including a charter ...

es) were exempt from the restriction. ODOT authorized both Ohio and Kentucky law enforcement agencies to enforce the restriction. The original bridge remained open during construction of the new bridge, 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.

Current bridge

Ironton-Russell Bridge replacement under construction

In 2000, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) released a report recommending the replacement of the then 78-year-old original span. 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 powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

, which increased the cost of

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materials and items derived from

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products. The bridge was designed as a two tower

cable-stayed bridge A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which wire rope, cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or wikt:stay#Etymology 3, stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, norm ...

, 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 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 The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

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 t ...

. The Russell approach was partially demolished in 2021 with the related chiseling of the original KY 244 viaduct and the opening of the new viaduct and new US 23/KY 244/ KY 750 intersection approximately 500 feet north of the bridge.

Original bridge

Current bridge

See also

References

Further reading