WorldWide Drilling Resource

12 DECEMBER 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Historic Bridge Slide in Indiana and Kentucky Adapted from Information by the Milton-Madison Bridge Project In 2009, core samples were drilled from the Ohio River and tested for strength. These samples were the be- ginning of a project which made history in 2014 when the new Milton-Madison Bridge final ly completed its record- breaking 55-foot journey from tempo- rary piers to its permanent, refurbished piers. Stretching almost a half mile, the truss of the Milton-Madison Bridge is the longest bridge in North America - and maybe the world - to be slid later- ally into place, making this a historic project for Madison, Indiana; and Milton, Kentucky. The slide began one morning only to be halted the same afternoon due to high winds over the Ohio River. Walsh Construction, who bui lt the Mi lton- Madison Bridge, brought in materials from the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project to help deal with windy conditions and assist in syn- chronizing the slide onto the bridge’s five piers. This allowed the slide to re- sume the next morning. “It’s great to see the bridge com- pleted and si tt ing in i ts permanent location,” said Dav Kessinger, project manager for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “This bridge wi l l serve the area well for decades to come.” “This is truly a historic accomplish- ment for everyone involved,” said Kevin Hetrick, project manager for the Indiana Department of Transportation. “The peo- ple of Indiana and Kentucky should be proud to be a part of this amazing engi- neering feat.” Polished steel sliding plates were secured on top of the refurbished piers. Steel cables and eight computer-con- trolled hydraulic jacks were used to align the bridge through a series of grabs and pulls until the it was slid into place. The 30-million-pound new steel truss bridge is 2428 feet long and 40 feet wide with two 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders - twice as wide as the old bridge. A 5-foot-wide cantilevered side- walk will eventually be added to the structure. The Milton-Madison Bridge Project - a joint effort between the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet - has received numerous construction and engineering awards. WWDR will close at noon December 23 rd , and reopen December 26 th -31 st with minimal staffing. We will be closed January 1 st . E-mail will be monitored. We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season.