Building Bridges

(Sponsored Content) - Haydon Bridge Co. Inc., a leading bridge, highway, and steel-erection contractor serving Kentucky and surrounding states, is the prime contractor expanding 2.67 miles of I-71 in Louisville.

Owned by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the project will widen the highway from two lanes in each direction to three between the I-71/I-64 split and the Zorn Avenue interchange.

The job entails widening four bridges, replacing one bridge with a reinforced-concrete box culvert, building two sound barrier walls, and doing all the associated grading, drainage and paving.

Bridge-related work includes installing several cofferdams, driving HP14x89 and HP14x117 foundation piles up to 135 feet long, and erecting precast concrete beams (box beams, AASHTO Type Fours, and hybrid sections), each weighing from 20 to 60 tons.

To build the sound barriers, Haydon Bridge will install 143 drilled-shaft foundations and install 72,846 square feet of precast concrete wall.

Haydon started the project in November 2025 and expects to finish it in September 2027.

Teleboom Crawlers are Key

Throughout this high-profile project, Haydon is relying on two Sany telescopic-boom crawler cranes to perform a variety of vital tasks.

A 90-ton capacity Sany SCA900TB is installing shoring and driving pile. As the project progresses, it will also help construct bridges, help larger cranes erect precast concrete girders, install the sound-barrier foundation and erect precast concrete sound-barrier panels.

Also on the job, a 160-ton capacity Sany SCA1600TB is installing cofferdams, helping remove an existing bridge, and driving pile. It will later construct bridge piers and help larger cranes erect precast concrete girders.

“These Sanys are Haydon Bridge’s first telescopic-boom crawler cranes,” said company president Kevin Wolfe. “They are proving ideal for this rugged and tight-spaced work.”

Wolfe explained that the telescopic-boom crawler cranes are compact enough to work in the narrow space between existing bridges and rugged enough to withstand demanding duty like driving pile or drilling caissons. He also appreciates the teleboom crawler’s ability to retract its boom and walk easily under overhead structures.

“The Sany cranes are performing excellently,” Wolfe said. “The maneuverability that these cranes provide is outstanding. We have two on site, and this project could not be successful without them.”

Sany Features Enhance Performance, Safety

“We have used several of the Sanys’ features on this project, for instance being able to run the SCA1600TB in intermediate track position to allow the crane to navigate in areas that traditional machines would not be able to maneuver while maintaining lift capacity,” said Wolfe. “Also, Sany’s E-Fence technology helps ensure that we maintain clear distances from overhead utilities.”

Wolfe noted that Haydon Bridge’s operators continually say they like the smoothness and easy operation of the Sany cranes. “They also really seem to like the in-cab technology that lets them set operating speeds, E-Fence distances, and other parameters to the way they prefer,” he said.

Project Carries Many Challenges

The I-71 widening project presents Haydon with many challenges.

Its first phase is partially removing the existing bridges and constructing the new structure in the middle. That creates challenges for access and crane accessibility.

In addition to the normal challenges of working in the median with limited access, several utilities affect the work area.

High-voltage electrical transmission lines cross one structure, lower-voltage electrical lines cross many structures, and two 60-inch water lines cross under one structure.

“Our team has worked diligently to solve the various issues, whether by using teleboom crawler cranes, working with our pile hammer vendor for specialized equipment, or using micropiles where traditional pile driving was not feasible,” said Wolfe.

Knowledge Adds Value

One key reason Haydon Bridge can handle the challenges any project throws at it is its 54 years of deep experience.

The company is headquartered in Springfield, Kentucky, where Tommy Haydon, Jr. founded it in 1972.

Today, the company is led by two long-time employees, President Kevin Wolfe, who started as a summer laborer 27 years ago while earning a bachelor’s degree in construction management, and Vice President Marshall Haydon, grandson of founder Tommy Haydon, who grew up working for the company when his father, Phillip Haydon, Sr., was leading it.

Over the decades, Haydon Bridge has grown into a leading heavy civil contractor focused on structures ranging from concrete box culverts and retaining walls to sound-barrier walls and bridges.

Expert at Design-Build and Progressive Design-Build delivery, Haydon Bridge can help project owners design structures that reduce construction time, cost, and risk.

“Our niche is difficult projects that demand planning, resource allocation and precise execution to succeed,” said Wolfe. “Our team is very good at thinking outside the box to create solutions that benefit a project.”

Third Sany Teleboom Joins Fleet

Currently, Haydon Bridge’s crane fleet includes 10 lattice-boom crawler cranes with capacities from 110 to 300 tons, one 65-ton rough-terrain crane, one 80-ton lattice-boom truck crane, and the Sany 90-ton and 160-ton telescopic-boom crawler cranes.

A 110-ton Sany teleboom crawler will join the fleet by the end of August.

Haydon Bridge recently sold three 80-ton and one 100-ton lattice-boom crawler cranes because the performance of its Sany cranes has proven the outstanding advantages of teleboom crawler cranes in that capacity range.

“Haydon Bridge bought both Sany cranes last summer, and we have now bought a third,” said Wolfe.

Wolfe explained that Haydon Bridge found out about Sany Cranes when Sany America’s crane sales director Brian Smoot asked Haydon to do a field trial for a 120-ton Sany rough-terrain crane in 2023.

“Our operators were very impressed with the ease of operation and stability of the machine,” said Wolfe. “At that time, our workload did not support adding that machine to the fleet, however, that positive experience lead us to reach back out to Sany when we decided to add a telecrawler to our fleet. Our research showed that Sany telecrawlers had capacities comparable to our lattice boom crawler cranes in the same classes – plus gave us all the other telecrawler advantages -- so we bought both the 90- and 160-ton models.”

Sany Support, Total Cost of Ownership Excellent

When Haydon Bridge is considering buying a crane, one of the key factors is dealer and manufacturer support. “We believe that if the dealer and manufacturer provide high-quality support, the crane’s reliability will be the result of that support,” said Wolfe. “When deciding on a machine, we look at transportability, ease of assembly, lifting capacity and reach, and ease of maintenance.”

Haydon Bridge has found that Sany America earns top scores in all the vital categories.

“Even though our sample size for cost of ownership is still relatively small, we are very happy with what we’re currently seeing from Sany, and with what we project that cost to be long term,” said Wolfe. “To date, parts availability has been as good as, or better than, the other brands we own.”

Wolfe added, “Sany technical support has been far more responsive than anything we have experienced before. The product quality is excellent, so we have had only a few minor issues. But when one has popped up, the Sany service team has been responded right away and maximized our up time.”

Wolfe noted that Sany America’s engineering team in Atlanta continually asks Haydon and other customers about how to make meaningful improvements to Sany cranes. “Also, Sany America supports our in-house mechanics and assembly teams by providing specific training tailored to the models we own and the environments where we use them,” he said.

Trust is Vital

A crane owner must be able to trust not only in the performance and reliability of the machine, but also in the company that built and supports it.

Sany America is building that trust by building productive, reliable cranes and by supporting its customers with expert, responsive parts and service.

“One of the reasons Haydon Bridge connected with Sany America in 2023 was that I knew and trusted its crane sales director, Brian Smoot, from having known him when we both were earning degrees and Morehead State University,” said Wolfe. “Since then, the entire Sany America team has earned our trust through their expertise and responsiveness. That kind of trust is priceless.”

To see how Sany America can help your company’s crane operations, check out this link.