Demolition of Mountain Parkway Overpass to Begin Next Week

Demolition work in Magoffin County will impact traffic

SALYERSVILLE, Ky. (June 15, 2015) – Drivers traveling on the Mountain Parkway might experience short delays this week as contractors take down an existing overpass in Magoffin County.

Work on the Gifford Road overpass – about 5 miles west of Salyersville – is scheduled to start Tuesday, June 16 and last about three days. There will be brief disruptions in traffic as the work is performed. The span on the southern side of the bridge will be demolished first, with crews expected to turn their attention to the northern span on Wednesday. The four bridge beams over the parkway will be taken out one at a time, with the work expected to start Thursday morning and be completed by midday.

Contractors will halt traffic for no more than 20 minutes at a time as they tear down the existing bridge. The structure will be replaced by a realigned bridge that will serve a new interchange at Gifford Road.
During the stoppages, construction workers will monitor traffic and work to allow safety vehicles to pass through the work area as quickly as possible.
“Taking down the existing bridge is a key step in creating this new interchange on the expanded Mountain Parkway,” said Marshall Carrier, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineer who is project manager for the Mountain Parkway Expansion. “Our teams work hard to limit traffic interruptions, but this is a case where the safety of the traveling public and the construction workers is paramount. We hope the short delays on these three days won’t be too inconvenient for travelers.”

Crews working for Lexington’s Bizzack Construction started clearing and site work near Gifford Road earlier this year and recently began building steel and concrete structures. The project will be completed within two years.

The actual starting date and duration of the work may be adjusted if inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances occur.