FULTON BRIDGE CLOSURE, REOPENING, CLOSURE AGAIN, EXPLAINED

According to Keith Todd, Media contact for District 1, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, a bridge on East State Line in Fulton, which had been closed, re-opened last week and has now been closed again, will remain closed as other options are being evaluated.

Todd told The Current today, that the original closure was the result of the discovery of damaged box beams underneath the bridge. Engineers did install added cable support for the bridge, and determined the bridge could be safe to reopen, as long as the three-ton weight limit was enforced.

Todd said three tons will support a car, SUV or unloaded pickup truck, however any vehicle heavier than that weight limit could compromise the stability of the bridge.

He said a crew was checking the previous repairs made to the bridge, after it had been reopened, but while at the site, the crew observed large trucks, over the weight limit, passing over the bridge, and it was determined those vehicles could compromise the repairs made.

"By law, it is the responsibility of the commercial vehicle operator to abide by the weight limit posted," Todd said, adding when that is not done, the bridge can not be deemed safe for vehicles to pass over.

When asked about enforcing the weight limit restrictions posted, Todd said unless a law enforcement agency had access to a scale to determine weight, it would be difficult to enforce, when a violation was suspected.

"We will continue to consider other options. Until then, we will keep the bridge closed," he said.