State offers historic Weisenberger Mill Bridge for relocation
The state wants to find a new home for the historic Weisenberger Mill Bridge as it makes way for a new bridge to be constructed at the site.
The bridge, which dates to 1935, spans Elkhorn Creek on Weisenberger Mill Road in Scott and Woodford counties. Its location is picturesque, with a dam and family-run mill nearby.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet issued a news release Saturday, saying the bridge could be donated to a city, county or state government, historic preservation organization or “anyone else” approved by the Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office.
If a recipient for the bridge isn’t found, the department will demolish it as part of the replacement project slated to begin in fiscal year 2017.
The state historic preservation office has deemed the bridge eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and it may still be eligible if it is relocated to an appropriate setting, according to the news release.
The bridge is 72 feet long with a 12-foot-wide concrete deck. The truss span is about 40 feet long.
The recipient of the bridge must agree to reconstruct it within a year of receiving it, maintain it for 20 years and allow the public to visit.
The state will pay for disassembling the bridge and moving it to the new location, up to the amount of the estimated cost of demolishing it.
A project manager with the state transportation cabinet told the Herald-Leader in 2014 that the one-lane bridge has cracking and section loss in its superstructure, which directly supports the bridge's surface. Its stone abutments, which support the bridge at each end, also have erosion, and the Federal Highway Administration stated in a 2006 evaluation that the bridge railings do not meet national standards.
Those interested in the bridge should contact Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 7 in Lexington for more information.
Karla Ward: 859-231-3314, @HLpublicsafety
This story was originally published September 11, 2016 at 6:26 PM with the headline "State offers historic Weisenberger Mill Bridge for relocation."