Cairo bridge study begins

PADUCAH, Ky.­ -- The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on Monday announced the kickoff of a study to consider options for improving or replacing the U.S. 51 Ohio River bridge -- also known as the Cairo bridge -- between Wickliffe, Ky., and Cairo, Ill.

The 76-year-old structure, which carries U.S. 60 and U.S. 62, is termed "functionally obsolete" because it does not meet current traffic standards. The driving width of the bridge deck is less than 23-feet, and it carries a high percentage of commercial truck traffic.

The nearest alternate upstream river crossing is the Interstate 24 Ohio River bridge at Paducah, which requires a nearly 2-hour detour. The nearest crossings downstream are the Dorena-Hickman Ferry and the Interstate 155 Mississippi River bridge between Dyersburg, Tenn., and Caruthersville, Mo.

In coming weeks and months, project team members will be conducting traffic counts, evaluating bridge conditions and investigating environmental and community resources in the study area, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation news release. In addition, the team will review collected data and consider options for the bridge.

According to project officials, several options will be considered, including rehabilitation of the existing bridge, replacement of the bridge in its current location, the feasibility of a new bridge in a new location and a no-build or do-nothing alternative. Public meetings are expected to be scheduled in 2013 at Wickliffe and Cairo.

A project website is under construction and will be reached via a link on KYTC's District 1 site at http://transportation.ky.gov/district-1/. Once established, the website will focus on study updates, meeting information and public documents.

-- From the Missouri Department of Transportation

Pertinent address:

Wickliffe, Ky.

Cairo, Ill.