(Photos/ALDOT)
By Troy Turner
Progress continues to be made with painting the U.S. 431 Veterans Memorial Bridges over the Tennessee River in Guntersville.
The $6.7 million project with contractor Cekra includes cleaning by contained sandblasting to remove rust, debris and old paint, followed by painting with a three-coat system, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation’s North Region office.
The department on Tuesday posted photos showing the work, which includes repairs to joints on the northbound bridge.
The deadline for completion is Dec. 1.
ALDOT’s contractor, Cekra Inc., is painting the structural steel and rails of both half-mile long bridges. The faded green is being coated with battleship gray
The paint, in addition to its aesthetic benefits, helps protect steel parts from the elements and can extend a bridge’s lifespan, ALDOT said.
The northbound bridge was constructed in 1977, the southbound bridge in 1994.
The spans replaced the old George Houston Bridge, which was built in 1928 and rebuilt in 1975, before giving way to the new bridges and the new name of Veterans Memorial Bridges.
A 1948 postcard showing the old bridge.
Cekra, meanwhile, is a nationally recognized contractor that performs a variety of services on steel structures, bridges, storage tanks and various types of facilities; including blasting and painting work.
The company is headquartered in Wilmington, N.C.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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