Cairo bridge to reopen ahead of schedule

The bridge carrying U.S. 51 over the Ohio River between Cairo, Illinois, and Wickliffe, Kentucky, commonly known as the Cairo Bridge, will reopen to one-lane traffic sometime Wednesday afternoon, five days ahead of schedule.

According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), the bridge will “most likely” reopen around 3 p.m. Wednesday, “but that could vary based on the addition of new pavement striping and other factors.”

The work was expected to last until the end of August.

The 84-year-old span closed to all traffic Aug. 1 to allow for extensive maintenance along almost 2 miles of the Kentucky approach embankment. The closure also helped accelerate deck and joint work on the bridge that began June 10.

While the bridge is expected to reopen Wednesday, it will continue to be restricted to one-lane traffic with alternating flow controlled by automated signals until around Oct. 1. The bridge will also have a strictly-enforced 8-foot, 6-inch vehicle width restriction.

The bridge, which opened in 1936, serves as a north-south connection for U.S. 51 as well as an east-west corridor for U.S. 60 and U.S. 62. It typically carries about 7,000 vehicles daily between Kentucky and Illinois, nearly 35% of which is commercial trucks.

When it closed to all traffic more than three weeks ago, commuters between Wickliffe and Cairo had to continue with an 80-mile detour.

“We appreciate the hardship our commuters and other travelers have endured,” said Kyle Poat, chief engineer of KYTC’s District 1. “Drivers are going to need additional patience as the work continues. We will continue to have workers on the bridge deck in close proximity to traffic flow, so it’s important to obey the work zone speed limit and use extra caution as work continues.”

Poat said periodic flooding along the Ohio River basin contributed to the need for extended maintenance along the bridge approach on the Kentucky side of the river.

“Several years with extended periods of high river levels have not been kind to the earthen roadway structure that was constructed in the mid-1930s. KYTC crews worked to reinforce the roadway embankment during the last two years, but some additional work was required. Applying a concrete driving surface and finishing out the shoulder area with millings is expected to help the earthworks better withstand future floods and maintain the reliability of this important river crossing.”

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