Drilling crews are working on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River near Wickliffe as they prepare for construction of the new US 51 bridge.
The drilling work will allow engineers to gather information on the soil and the settlement conditions in the area as they decide where best to place the new abutments and piers for the replacement bridge. Early plans call for the new bridge to be built just less than 1,000 feet upstream from the existing one.
Some of the drilling may be on or near the road, causing some delays. This phase of the drilling will be wrapped up in a few weeks.
The original bridge was completed in 1938. The first discussions of replacing that bridge came back in 2013.
Preparatory work will continue with a target for construction to start in 2028 and completion in 2032.
Information about the design, the history, and the construction of the bridge can be found here.
