 Embracing the night, the Abraham Lincoln Bridge stands tall, casting its radiant glow over the Ohio River in the heart of Louisville!
Photo by: Kevin Bailey, District 5.
Happy New Year from SPARKS!
Hello Everyone,
As we begin a new year, we want to take a moment to extend our warmest wishes to each and every one of you. Your dedication to the field of engineering and your commitment to learning have made this year truly remarkable.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind our aspiring engineers to prepare and submit their applications for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet scholarships. The annual engineering scholarship application deadline is February 1. This scholarship is a testament to our commitment to supporting the next generation of engineering leaders. It was instrumental in launching my personal career with transportation.
Whether you are an educator shaping young minds or a student with a passion for engineering, we encourage you to explore and share this opportunity. The scholarship is designed to assist and empower students in their pursuit of excellence in the field of engineering. We are eager to see the incredible talent within our community thrive and succeed.
As we look ahead to a new year filled with possibilities, let us continue to work together to inspire and cultivate the future innovators of the engineering world.
Happy New Year to you and your families! Here's to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
Warm regards,
James Balinger, PE, PLS
State Highway Engineer, KYTC
 The Brent Spence Bridge:
Meeting the Needs of a Growing River City
By Nikki Boden
Have you ever crossed a double-decker bridge? Chances are you have if you’ve ever driven through Cincinnati, Ohio from Kentucky. That’s where you’ll find the Brent Spence Bridge. First opened in 1963, the bridge carries traffic along I-71/75 - a long interstate running from the top of Michigan to the bottom of Florida. In addition to all the cars that cross it, big trucks carry billions worth of products across it every day – everything from the food we eat to the things we use to build houses and cars.
When it first opened, the bridge had three lanes of traffic going north on one level and three lanes going south on the other. It was good at helping cars and trucks get across the Ohio River to where they were going because it had enough room for everyone who wanted to use it. But as time went on and more and more people used it every day, traffic jams became a problem. Too many vehicles were trying to use the bridge all at once, and that caused the traffic to slow down when people were trying to get to and from work and school during the busiest parts of the day. So, in 1985, the lines on the bridge were repainted to create four lanes for traffic in each direction. That worked for a while, but soon the city began to grow again, and the bridge again wasn’t big enough for everyone to use without traffic jams.
That’s why Ohio and Kentucky are teaming up on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. The Brent Spence Bridge will be revamped to add features that make it safer, like emergency lanes and wider travel lanes. A new bridge will be built next to it to make more room for cars and trucks. Each level of the Brent Spence Bridge is going to go back to having three lanes so that there will be room for cars to pull over when they need to stop. The new bridge will serve trucks carrying goods, as well as travelers passing through on the way to other destinations. The original bridge will carry people who live in the area and want to travel locally to the cities of Covington, KY, and Cincinnati, OH.
Bridges are important, but so are the roads that cars and trucks use to get to them. That’s why making improvements to the roads that connect with the bridges is also a part of the project. Some roads will be widened and worked on to make them smoother. Other roads near the bridges will be removed and replaced. This will make traffic flow better and make it easier for people to get where they want to go.
Projects like the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project take a long time to build. They are also very expensive. The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project will cost $3.6 billion! That’s why the United States government is helping Ohio and Kentucky pay for it so drivers can use it without paying tolls. It will take a lot to do the work on this project, and they will work on the project for a long time — construction will begin in late 2024, and the job could take 6 years to complete!
Nick at the RJ Corman's railyard (Photos by KYTC's photographer, Nic Volosky)
Riding the Rails
An intern's experience with Kentucky's railroad
Kentucky's Transportation system includes several modes of travel from runways to roadways, rivers, and rail lines. Our state’s infrastructure plays a crucial role in moving people and goods, as well as serving as a logistical dream for businesses to set up shop.
Hear from one of our paid college interns, Nick, who had recently visited a privately owned rail line. KYTC maintains an inventory of public crossings in Kentucky to report to the Federal Railroad Administration. Data is collected every three years for every open public rail line that crosses a highway.
My name is Nicholas McCleve, I work with KYTC as a transportation engineer assistant under the internship program. My time here has been the ultimate privilege and I have been able to have some amazing experiences.
One of the most memorable things that I have done as an intern was a train trip. It was a massive standout; I had never experienced anything like it. With the help of KYTC, KEEN, and RJ Corman, we took a trip to a railyard, and we were accompanied by a crew in a high rail truck that moved along the train tracks for inspection.
First, the people at RJ Corman were some of the absolute nicest people I have ever met. Throughout our visit, we were shown the operations of the railyard and a basic overview of what they do as well as how they do it.
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We accompanied the crew onto the track to inspect several sections of track and I learned how they perform their inspections. During this process, I took part in multiple tasks of the inspection like measuring track and checking to make sure that the parts of the tracks on the curves stay at an even distance from each other. |
After finishing this section, we left the tracks and continue to learn more about the process on the way back to the railyard. Overall, this was another excellent experience.
I hope that my experience here interests you and you are inspired as much as I am.
A huge thanks the people at KYTC and RJ Corman for taking the time to show me this part of Kentucky’s transportation network.
 The SPARKS newsletter is emailed periodically to subscribers with information about careers, STEM presentations, events and more. Please sign up below:
 Want a KYTC Scholarship? Application Deadline is Next Month
It’s not too late to apply for a KYTC scholarship. The application period is open for interested students pursuing Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, or Construction Management degrees. The deadline is February 1, 2024.
Here’s what you need to apply:
· A minimum of two letters of reference – one from your guidance counselor (high school) or advisor (college) and the rest from teachers/professors. You can also include letters from others that know you outside of school.
· Your resume – please be thorough. This provides more information that allows us to get to know you better. This will include volunteer work, paid jobs, & also extracurricular activities with your school, community, church, etc.
· Your essay – this is a minimum of one page that is an introduction to us and tells us more about why you are interested in one of the above fields.
· Your ACT scores
· Your current transcript, along with a copy of your senior class schedule, if it’s not included on your transcript. For current college students, if you are taking classes at multiple universities, go ahead and include all transcripts.
When you request a KEEN classroom presentation, one of the options we offer is a presentation about bridges. KYTC engineers demonstrate how bridges are made with a hands-on activity where students build and test bridges with K'Nex.
Learn more about the KEEN program on our website.
Loading salt into the snowplow from a salt dome
SNOW AND ICE
State “snowfighter” highway crews are equipped, ready and waiting for winter in Kentucky. While supplies and staff are equipped, drivers are reminded to join the effort to keep roadways safe.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) crews start the season with:
- Over 1 million gallons of salt brine
- 1.1 million gallons of calcium chloride
- 340,000 tons of salt
More than 1,400 plow trucks are on deck and more than 2,000 staff and crew members are trained and prepped to keep travelers moving.
Give the plows plenty of room. As trucks clear roads, salt and snow may fly onto nearby vehicles. Don’t crowd the plow and please give them space to work.
Severe snow and ice conditions can cause traffic issues that can leave you stranded for hours on the road. A minor inconvenience can become an emergency situation if you are caught unprepared. Remember to get your vehicle winter-ready and be sure to pack an emergency car kit to keep you and passengers safe. Watch this video for some tips.
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