Palmer Engineering’s KY 15 roadway realignment project spans 1.2 miles and is centered on improving safety and traffic flow. The project also highlights Palmer’s extensive experience in designing diverse bridge and roadway structures for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).

Structures designed include:

1. Two PCI-beam bridges

2. A culvert extension

3. A retaining wall

4. Over 200 feet of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall

Key Project Structures

KY 15 Bridge over Perry Park Road, North Fork of the Kentucky River, and KY 550

• A five-span, 700-foot-long, 93-foot-wide bridge carrying five lanes of traffic

• Skewed 40 degrees to parallel the river

• Piers founded on large-diameter drilled shafts below anticipated scour depths, transitioning to individual columns

• Large breastwall abutments: one on spread footings, the other on driven piles

• Hybrid PCI-beams minimize superstructure depth to meet vertical clearance requirements

Morton Boulevard Interchange Bridge

• A two-span, 150-foot-long PCI-beam bridge with low-profile hybrid beams

• Integral abutments founded on driven piles behind MSE walls, with a pier in the median of KY 15 on drilled shafts

• Designed to meet vertical clearance requirements while maintaining structural efficiency

Ramp A Culvert Extension

• A 320-foot-long extension of an existing 5’ x 4’ RCBC

• New geometry included a grade change of over 3% to align with KY 15

Willie’s Way Access Improvements

• Reconfigured access along the new KY 15 alignment with a 150-foot-long cantilever retaining wall

• Stepped footing design minimized excavation and maintained access to critical businesses during construction

MSE Wall Implementation

• Over 200 feet of MSE walls at Morton Boulevard Bridge integral abutments

• Enabled construction of a new slip ramp to KY 15 economically, avoiding bridge extension

This project exemplifies Palmer Engineering’s ability to integrate safety-focused roadway design with complex structural solutions, ensuring both functionality and cost-effective construction.