Located north of Crofton near Mannington, and just off of US 41, the Davis Road Bridge could soon be replaced — following Tuesday’s unanimous vote from the Christian County Fiscal Court seeking the services of HMB Professional Engineering in Frankfort.
The timber stringer structure built in 1950 spans over the CSX Railroad bed, and though it leads to a dead end road, Christian County Judge-Executive Steve Tribble said five-plus families are daily impacted by the bridge’s closure — having recently been deemed unsafe and closed to traffic by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
An August 2017 inspection report of the bridge stated it had a “fair” superstructure condition, a “poor” substructure condition and a “fair” deck condition — rendering an overall grade of “poor.”
Tribble said the bridge was originally built by the CSX Railroad those seven decades ago, but that the structure no longer appears on inventory registries for the company. As such, since a county road leads up to it, Tribble noted it was time to take action.
The Christian County Fiscal Court has applied for $500,000 in discretionary funds from the state, but Tribble added the project will likely cost more — as the hope is to build a single-span, box-beam bridge just north of the original site.
Shawn Miller, a regional development director for HMB Professional Engineering, said while he’s not a structural engineer, most timber bridges don’t have a 70-year lifespan, and that this particular fixture is in “rough shape.”
The current clearance required for common rail traffic along the railway is close to 20 feet, but Miller stated nearly two inches of compression has changed the timber plat and its pillars over the decades of use. The plan is to be in constant contact with CSX Railroad during the construction process in order to meet guidelines and specifications, while the removal of timber pillar support beams should provide more easement for trains.
The Christian County Fiscal Court may also be in contact with CSX Railroad officials, too. District 7 magistrate Jerry Gilliam suggested a letter of demand be drafted by the county attorney and delivered to CSX Railroad, asking for assistance and/or recompense for bridge removal/replacement.
Tribble said the state has also informed him that the original structure is “beyond repair,” further lending credence to the expediency needed for construction to begin.
Christian County Fiscal Court will next meet in a special-called session at 11 a.m., Tuesday, August 10 due to a packed local schedule.
In other CCFC news:
— Irene Grace, director for the Christian County Animal Shelter, reports 497 animals were taken in during the month of June. More than 300 pets were sent out to homes, and donations over the last 30 days totaled $4,128.33.
— Set to retire on July 31, current Christian County jailer Brad Boyd made a final closing statement to the Christian County Fiscal Court, thanking the governing body for nearly three decades of support.
