TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Further investigation into the failure of the barrier along the Polk-Quincy Viaduct has found that not only is the issue worsening, but the bridge’s latest inspection also did not follow protocol.

The Kansas Department of Transportation says it continues to examine what caused part of the concrete barrier to fall off the Polk-Quincy Viaduct in downtown Topeka and has hired a national bridge expert to help with the investigation.

KDOT said the preliminary notion was that the 60-foot concrete barrier that fell into a vacant downtown parking lot on Saturday, June 11, was most likely caused by the deterioration of the steel which connects the barrier to the viaduct deck. It said the deterioration coupled with high temperatures caused the barrier to break adjacent to an expansion joint of the viaduct.

However, after further review, KDOT said the deterioration of the reinforcing steel in the railing is more severe than first thought.

In response, the City of Topeka says KDOT has asked it to close 2nd St. from the alley between SE Quincy and S Kansas Ave. to the west side of SW Van Buren. This means SW Jackson St. and S Kansas Ave. will also be closed under the viaduct.

KDOT said the closures will remain in effect until the barrier can be removed and replaced on the viaduct. It said work on the barrier will start by June 30 and it will prioritize fixing the barrier directly over Kansas and Jackson Ave. to reduce the disruption to the flow of traffic as much as possible.

“Keeping drivers and pedestrians safe is our top priority,” said KDOT Secretary Julie Lorenz. “We are taking these additional actions out of an abundance of caution for travelers and will work diligently to make these safety improvements as quickly as possible.”

The Department noted that it is important to remember concerns are with the concrete barrier on the viaduct – not the structure of the viaduct which is why I-70 will remain open to traffic.

KDOT also said the investigation includes an internal review of its bridge inspection process. During that review, it said it found the May 23 inspection of the viaduct did not follow protocol. The inspector saw warnings the bridge joint was expanding but failed to notify KDOT’s bridge inspection leader – which is required per protocol. It said the bridge inspector responsible for this error has resigned.

KDOT noted there are 332 bridges in the state whose barriers and railings are similarly designed to the Polk-Quincy Viaduct and it has called for additional inspections of those bridges as well. It said the bridges that span over traffic – about 105 of them – will be inspected first.

Again, KDOT said the concern is with the bridge barrier or railings – not the bridge structure. It said inspectors are underway as of June 16 on the bridges wit this type of barrier in order to verify the accuracy of recent inspections.

The Department also indicated that it has launched an external audit of all bridge inspections – including those made by the inspector who resigned due to the Polk-Quincy failure – in order to make sure similar issues have not happened on other bridges. As part of this process, it said a national bridge expert will review KDOT’s internal processes and make recommendations on how to strengthen protocols moving forward.

KDOT said the actions add to previous actions taken by the Department, which include:

• KDOT’s State Bridge Engineer and Senior Inspection Engineer and consultant have completed multiple inspections of the site and have found the cause to be an issue with the concrete barrier alone. The structure of the viaduct remains sound and open to traffic. Staff have continued to inspect the site twice daily since Monday, June 13, to watch for any changes that would require additional actions to be taken.
• Dump trucks were placed on the viaduct to serve as a temporary barrier until a new concrete safety barrier could be installed. The barrier was installed on Tuesday, June 14.

KDOT also indicated it will provide ongoing updates on the replacement of barriers and traffic impacts.

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