Kentucky’s Transportation Cabinet is planning improvements to some of the state’s aging roads and bridges. There are 1,157 structurally deficient bridges according to a new report by The American Society of Civil Engineers.
KYTC spokesperson Ryan Watts said he wasn’t surprised by the report’s findings on the state’s infrastructure needs. The cabinet has plans in place to update and fix those structurally deficient bridges. Watts said Kentucky shares the national burden of addressing the needs of an aging transportation system with limited funds.
“Kentucky’s roads and bridges are safe, but they require significant funding to maintain operability,” Watts said.
Watts said the transportation cabinet will begin a $38 million maintenance project on the Brent Spence bridge in northern Kentucky this summer. He explained structurally deficient bridges are safe, but they need maintenance in order to remain open.
Watts said a project is underway to widen I-75 in Rockcastle County from four to six lanes. According to the ASCE’s report, Kentucky motorists are paying $331 on average a year for driving on roads in need of repair. That’s down from the $391 reported in the 2013 report.
