Inspectors found a crack in a half-inch-thick steel splice plate on the eastbound I-275 bridge Oct. 1 in Northern Kentucky, leading to the state Transportation Cabinet to ban truck traffic from the span, said spokesman Chuck Wolfe.
A splice plate is a piece of metal used to connect two long pieces of steel. The discovery came during a four-week period in which traffic was reduced from three lanes to two while testing and a regularly scheduled biennial inspection are conducted.
The ban will reduce the structure’s tension by about 50% at any location, Wolfe said.