ALERT: U.S. 51 Ohio River "Cairo" Bridge Closed Due to Barge Hit
Estimated duration is 2 hours
PADUCAH, Ky. (Feb. XXX, 2022) – The U.S. 51 Ohio River "Cairo" Bridge is temporarily closed due to a barge hit.
The U.S. Coast Guard Louisville Operations Center received a report that the Motor Vessel Bobby Thompson struck the right descending pier of the bridge. The towboat was pushing 7 barges - 4 loaded and 3 empties.
A barge loaded with soy meal grazed the pier, breaking some tow cables and causing the barge to take on water.
The Coast Guard contacted local police agencies to halt traffic on the bridge.
A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Certified Bridge Inspector has been dispatched to run a safety check on the bridge structure.
Estimated duration is 2 hours or approximately 7 p.m., CST.
The Wickliffe-Cairo Bridge carries U.S. 51, U.S. 60, and U.S. 62 traffic across the Ohio River at U.S. 51 Kentucky mile point 7.372.
Also known as The Cairo Bridge, the US 51/US 60/US 62 Wickliffe-Cairo Bridge carries approximately 4,700 vehicles across the Ohio River each day between Wickliffe, KY, and Cairo, IL. It connects with the US 60/US 62 Mississippi River Bridge to Bird’s Point, Missouri at the southern tip of Illinois.
The U.S. 51 Ohio River Bridge was constructed by the Cairo Bridge Commission as a toll facility and opened to traffic on November 11, 1936. Tolls were removed from the crossing on November 11, 1948, when the highway departments of Kentucky and Illinois took over maintenance of the structure.
The Cairo-Wickliffe Bridge is at Ohio River navigation mile point 980.4.
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