By Brittany Hedges

By the time this paper hits newsstands, construction in front of the UK Hospital area should be complete.

Work on the new pedestrian walkway on South Limestone is right on schedule, said project manager John Callahan.

“Construction is great, we’re ahead of schedule,” Callahan said Sunday afternoon. “We were able to work right through the rain, since there was no lightning or high wind.”

Construction on the walkway began Friday at 6 p.m. and the project is due to be completed Monday at 5 a.m. The construction company erecting the structure is Midwest Steel, Inc., based in Detroit, Mich. A 32-man crew is working on the project, with 16 men working every shift.

“It’s a very complex project because of the shape of the walkway,” Callahan said.

The walkway will span South Limestone and link the new hospital to the parking garage across the street.

Three cranes are being used to erect the structure, which will weigh more than 400,000 pounds at completion.

“We still have to tie in the bay, erect more on the parking garage and finish the towers in the hospital,” Callahan said.

No information concerning the next step of the overall walkway project or when it will be completed was available.