NOTE: This closure was planned for last week, but had to be delayed due to an equipment issue. The UBIV has been repaired and we are a go for daytime closures starting Tuesday.
Traffic ADVISORY
A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close the US 45 Ohio River “Brookport” Bridge at Paducah during daylight hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, April 30 through May 2, 2019.
The US 45 Ohio River “Brookport” Bridge will be closed to all traffic from 9:00 a.m., CDT, to about 3:00 p.m., on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week to allow the use of an Under Bridge Inspection Vehicle (UBIV) to inspect the truss sections of the bridge. Placement of the UBIV to facilitate the inspection will require that the bridge be closed to all traffic during this phase of the inspection process.
There will be no marked detour. However, motorists may self-detour via the Interstate 24 Ohio River Bridge.
All Kentucky bridges get a detailed inspection every 2 years, with long-span river and lake bridges getting an additional walk-through safety check annually.
Also known as the Brookport Bridge and the Irvin S. Cobb Bridge, the US 45 Ohio River Bridge is at McCracken County mile point 12.882.
The 10-span bridge carries approximately 5,100 vehicles across the Ohio River each day between Paducah, KY, and Brookport, IL.
The 5,385 ft. structure at Ohio River navigation mile point 937.3 was opened to traffic in 1929. Due to deck width, the bridge is currently restricted to vehicles no more than 8 feet wide, which prohibits most commercial trucks and prohibits all STAA Trucks.
Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KYTC Highway District 1 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.