Test Being Run Tomorrow for Downtown Bridge Crossing, Expect Loud Noises

If you are hear a loud boom near the downtown bridges tomorrow, don't be concerned. Walsh Construction will be doing some pre-construction activities for the Downtown Crossing of the Ohio River Bridges Project and nearby residents may hear some of that progress loud and clear Thursday.

Walsh Construction will be assessing the sturdiness of a test shaft drilled in late April and in order to do so a series of tests, known as lateral Statnamic load tests, will be performed. The test simulate the impact of a vessel striking the pier.

 

The day-long testing includes four or five successive tests, increasing loads and creating louder sounds.  The last and loudest of the tests will sound similar to a small cannon or large firework.  The sounds will be noticeable to those within 500 feet of the test site, but will not require any hearing protection for residents.

The 50-foot deep test shaft is located on the Indiana side of the Ohio River, east of the Kennedy Bridge, near Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville.  The tests are in preparation for building the piers for the new Downtown Crossing.  The new bridge will be built with nine piers, four on land and five in the water.

For more information or to follow the project's progress, go to www.kyinbridges.com.