PADUCAH, Ky. (July 7, 2020) — As a reminder, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans daytime work zone lane restrictions along the U.S. 68/KY 80 Eggners Ferry Bridge at Aurora the week of July 13, 2020.
This work zone at U.S. 68 Marshall County mile point 28.146 and Trigg County mile point 0.0 is to allow the use of a UBIV- Under Bridge Inspection Vehicle to conduct a detailed inspection of the bridge structure. The KYTC District 1 Signal Crew will also attempt to use this work zone to do some electrical work on the bridge lighting system.
This work zone will include a daytime closure of the multi-use trail that crosses the bridge. The help facilitate the inspection work, no pedestrian or bicycle traffic will be allowed to cross the bridge while this work zone is active.
This daytime work zone will maintain one lane of highway traffic in each direction with all traffic moved to the left-hand or passing lane.
All Kentucky bridges get a detailed inspection every two years. All long-span lake and river bridges get an additional annual walk-through inspection.
Approximately 3,500 vehicles cross the New US 68/KY 80 Eggners Ferry Bridge over Kentucky Lake at Aurora in an average day.
The new $133 million basket handle arch structure was first opened to 2-lane traffic in December 2015 with 4-lane traffic starting in December 2016. The design is a twin of the U.S. 68 Lake Barkley Bridge at Canton. The bridges serve as the western and eastern entrances to The Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area.
The Eggners Ferry Bridge serves a river crossing that started with a ferry sometime in the 1830s. The first bridge constructed at the site opened to traffic in 1932.
The bridge is at Tennessee River navigation mile point 41.7.