US 460 Russell Fork bridge in November bid lettings
Section from Beaver to Virginia line opens November 16
PIKE COUNTY (November 2, 2020) – Two important announcements came this week on the US 460 project in Pike County: the section from Beaver to the Virginia line will officially open to traffic on Monday, November 16, and the twin span bridge over Russell Fork at Beaver will be included in the Transportation Cabinet’s November 20 lettings.
Governor Andy Beshear announced the opening during his remarks at the SOAR Summit on Thursday, October 29: “Today, I’m excited to announce the section of US 460 from the intersection with KY 80 and Beaver, just this side of Elkhorn City, to the Virginia state line, is set to officially open to traffic November 16. I know this is very good news for the Eastern half of Pike County. This is another infrastructure project that brings us safety and economic growth opportunities to an area that really needs it.”
On November 20, the Transportation Cabinet will accept bids on the twin span bridge over Russell Fork at Beaver. Other than final paving and finishing from Marrowbone to Beaver, this is the last project of the US 460 project to go to bid.
The 16.7-mile corridor from US 23 at Sookey’s Creek, south of Pikeville, to the Virginia line features five excess material sites: Wolfpit, Jessie Branch, John Moore Branch, Stonecoal Fork, and Wolfpen (near the state line). These areas will be deeded to the Pike County Fiscal Court for use as economic development sites.
The costs and contractors for the sections from Beaver to the state line break down as follows:
- John Moore Branch Bridge, $5,054,607.10, Bush & Burchett
- KY 80 at Beaver to east of Beaver Bottom, $37,445,944.04, Hi-View
- Ramp from KY 80 to US 460 $13,163,879.68, Philmor Construction
- East of Beaver Bottom to Beaver Creek, $35,518,261.75, Bizzack near Flat Fork
- Beaver Creek near Flat Fork to Right Fork, $19,608,761.21, Hi-View
- Right Fork of Beaver to Virginia line, $27,897,682.82, Kokosing Construction
- Surfacing from Beaver to state line, $18,494,803.00, Mountain Enterprises
The total cost from the John Moore Branch bridge to the state line stands at $157,183,939.60.
The price tag for the section from US 23 to John Moore Branch totals $387,501,953.57. This includes a twin span bridge at Pond Creek of Draffin, now under construction, which will be the tallest bridge of any type in Kentucky, taller than the Statue of Liberty. The bottom of the bridge deck is 315 feet above the county road below. Bush & Burchett of Allen, Floyd County, is the contractor on this project, awarded June 6, 2017, in the amount of $26,931,407.55.
US 460 is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System, a massive investment by the 13-state Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to open a historically isolated region of the country to development and commercial markets.
The US 460 project area in Kentucky extends 16.7 miles from US 23 at Sookey’s Creek to the Virginia state line near Breaks Interstate Park. Designed by Palmer Engineering of Winchester, Kentucky, the four-lane limited access highway features four 12-foot driving lanes, 12-foot shoulders, and a recessed median.
Work started May 17, 2002, with the section from US 23 at Sookey’s Creek to Stagger Fork. The first eight miles of the highway, from US 23 to KY 195 at Marrowbone, opened in December 2014. The remaining portion of the highway, from Marrowbone to Beaver, will open when the bridge at Pond Creek of Draffin is finished and final paving, striping, guardrail, and signage is completed.
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