Speaking

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recognized significant deficiencies in two of their cable-stay (CS) bridges across the Ohio River. They retained Burgess & Niple’s (B&N) team to inspect, perform nondestructive testing, generate rehabilitation plans to extend service life and provide construction observation and preservation for the two structures.

The presenters will highlight the William H. Natcher CS Bridge in Daviess County. The bridge is 4,505 feet in length and 67 feet wide. It is supported by 96 stay cables connected to two identical diamond-shaped towers, each 374 feet tall. At the time of its construction in 2002, it was the United States’ longest stay cable-supported bridge over an inland waterway. Deterioration of the protective systems was first observed in 2005 and progressed rapidly over the years, which compromised the protection for the main load-carrying components of the bridge. B&N’s team performed inspection and testing, as well as developed rehabilitation plans for the bridge. Construction on the $11 million rehabilitation project began in April.

This presentation will cover the rehabilitation efforts for the William H. Natcher Bridge, highlighting the team's inspection, nondestructive testing and preservation strategies to extend its service life and ensure long-term structural integrity.