Lane restriction in place from 8 a.m. to Noon

PADUCAH, Ky. (March 22, 2023) – A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) plans a work zone lane restriction on U.S. 51 at the Kentucky end of the U.S. 51 Ohio River “Cairo” Bridge on Thursday morning, March 23, 2023.

This work zone lane restriction at Ballard County mile point 7.3 is to allow guardrail damaged by a recent crash at the Kentucky end of the bridge to be replaced.

The crew anticipates being on-site around 8 a.m., CDT, with one lane traffic and alternating flow controlled by flaggers.  This work zone is expected to be active until approximately 12 p.m.

Some delays are possible during the movement and placement of equipment to facilitate the work.

Appropriate caution is required where equipment, flaggers, and maintenance personnel are along the roadway in close proximity to traffic flow.

The 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 U.S. 51/U.S. 60/U.S. 62 Wickliffe-Cairo Bridge carries approximately 5,500 vehicles across the Ohio River each day between Wickliffe, KY, and Cairo, IL.  About 35 percent of those vehicles are commercial trucks.  It is the longest bridge in Kentucky and the westernmost bridge over the Ohio River.

The Cairo Bridge immediately connects with the U.S. 60/U.S. 62 Mississippi River Bridge that connects Missouri and Illinois.  The east-west traffic on U.S. 60 and U.S. 62 combines with the north-south traffic on U.S. 51 to provide a critical river crossing of far more importance that traffic count might indicate.

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.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are planning the construction of a new bridge at this site.

For more info on the new bridge planning process go to https://us51bridge.com/.

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