ELSMERE, Ky. — Fire trucks will no longer be able to use the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge on Garvey Avenue after a recent inspection led to immediate changes in how much weight the bridge can bear, according to a press release from the City of Elsmere.
Elsmere officials said a recent structural analysis performed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet required the bridge's load rating to be immediately lowered from 27 tons to 13 tons.
"We had about 431 emergency responses last year where we crossed that bridge for emergencies," Elsmere Fire Chief Paul LaFontaine said Friday. "I have no fire truck now that can legally drive over that bridge."
WATCH: Elsmere officials address next steps amid 'dire emergency' and public safety concerns
While Garvey Avenue is a main artery running through Elsmere, city officials said the bridge itself is owned, maintained and controlled by Norfolk Southern Railroad; the city does not have any authority over its maintenance, inspection or structural integrity.
"There's been very little work completed to the bridge unless we call and report it," said Elsmere Public Works Director Chris Zerhusen. "We met on site with potential bidders for a bridge replacement. That was in March of 2015 when that happened. July of 2015, we hadn't heard from them. We reached out, and we were told that the project is no longer happening."
Zerhusen laid out Friday what comes next, as the city looks to minimize the public safety impact of the bridge capacity changes.
"What we're looking for is to get this bridge somehow temporarily repaired to have the weight limit raised so fire apparatus can get across it, and then work towards a full bridge replacement," Zerhusen said.
City leaders said they have since had contact with Norfolk Southern about next steps, although the plans are still being formed.
"They have not committed to anything," Zerhusen said. "They said there might be some grand opportunities that they're looking into and maybe some funding through the state of Kentucky, but they're looking into that currently."
LaFontaine said the weight downgrade creates "an unacceptable risk" for residents living in the area. Now, he's calling for immediate action from Norfolk Southern.
"They need to step up. It's time for action. It's not time for talking. Talking's over with," LaFontaine said. "This is a dire emergency and only they can resolve this."
WCPO reached out to Norfolk Southern for more information. The company responded with a written statement:
"We were notified of concerns over the condition of the bridge last week and have been in close communication with state and local officials to determine a course of action."
