(LEX 18) — Heavy vehicles driving between Lawrenceburg and Versailles will likely have to find a detour for the foreseeable future. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has instituted a new weight restriction to keep commercial vehicles off the Tyrone Bridge.
The first time you see the Tyrone Bridge, you're struck by its unusual shape.
"It's very unique because it's got this graceful s-curve that meanders over the Kentucky River. At least with this deck truss, it's one of two s-type bridges of its type in the world and the only one of its type in the United States," said Sherman Cahal.
Cahal is a historian and author who writes about bridges. He's photographed the 91-year-old Tyrone Bridge for his website, "Bridges and Tunnels."
Last week, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced a lane closure for a bridge inspection. This week, they announced the bridge is now off-limits to vehicles over ten tons. That limit is fine for private cars, but it'll be a bit of a headache for heavy commercial vehicles that typically drive along US 62 between Versailles and Lawrenceburg.
"You're going to be excluding tractor-trailers and dump trucks and heavier vehicles from crossing it, and right now, just to get around from one side of the bridge to the other without using the Tyrone Bridge, you've got to loop around the Kentucky River by a distance of 20 miles," Cahal said.
For example, a truck traveling from a nearby quarry could get to Versailles via the Tyrone Bridge in 14 minutes. Heading south to the Bluegrass Parkway doubles the travel time to 28 minutes. The Transportation Cabinet has not released any information about what prompted the new restriction. In the database on their website, the bridge is categorized as "structurally deficient," and it says "Bridge Condition: Poor." There's no word on when repairs might be done.
