According to information provided by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Hall Contracting of Kentucky Inc. located in Louisville, Ky., hopes to have the replacement span for the Eggners Ferry Bridge assembled and ready for transportation by next week.

Officials from the contracting firm said the progress of the structural steel for the new span continues as it is being assembled at the Eddyville Riverport in Eddyville, Ky.

Over the past weekend, workers assembled the flooring frame of the new truss section and assembled the deck support structure. Workers also completed part of the upper truss.

They have continued placing and assembling steel flooring supports for the replacement span throughout the week. Once the steel beams were temporarily bolted into place, workers went back and permanently attached the floor beams to the structure’s other elements.

After total assembly of steel for the new truss span is complete, it will be placed on a barge to be transported to the site and placed on the existing piers. On Wednesday the crew placed two concrete pedestals on the pier cap on the Trigg County side of the bridge. The concrete will need to cure for several days. Workers poured the concrete for the Marshall County side of the bridge on Thursday.

The pedestals were fixed in order to allow the new truss to be placed.

Steel workers continue to assemble the flooring frame of the truss and have assembled many of the vertical elements. The contractor is currently waiting for the arrival of the structural steel for the upper portion.

The company said they should have the new span assembled and ready for transport by next week.

The Eggners Ferry Bridge carries approximately 2,500 vehicles per day connecting Aurora, Ky., and Cadiz, Ky.

The contract Hall Contracting has with the state stipulates that for every day past May 27 it will receive a $50,000 penalty. The contract is for the reopening of the bridge by Memorial Day at a cost of $7 million.

The date was set so early in an effort to reopen the bridge for the summer tourism in western Kentucky’s lake region.

On Thursday three classes from the Graves County High School visited the Eddyville Riverport to observe construction of the new span. The class has been studying the principles of bridge design and construction as part of their math and engineering curriculum.

Keith Todd, public information officer of districts one and two for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, said it was pretty unusual for students to get an opportunity to observe actual construction of a steel truss bridge.

He said because of construction the students would not be allowed onto the construction site, but would be moved to vantage points around the site where they could observe the work assembling the truss.