The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet received the ‘Best Use of Technology and Innovation’ award in the America’s Transportation Awards program for the recent U.S. Highway 60 Smithland Bridge project.
Announced by Governor Andy Beshear, the project replaced a 1930s bridge in Livingston County with a modern structure, enhancing safety and efficiency.
The new 700-foot ‘Jim R. Smith Memorial Bridge’ truss was built at the Paducah Riverport and transported by barge, minimizing disruptions. The original bridge, built in 1931, had become structurally deficient and unable to handle modern traffic. The new bridge features wider lanes, added shoulders, and redesigned piers to improve river navigation.
The project was a $63.8 million collaboration between the transportation cabinet, Jim Smith Contracting, American Bridge, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The America’s Transportation Awards, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recognize outstanding state transportation projects.
