Extra Restrictions Planned for Brookport Bridge

Enhanced traffic restrictions planned for the Ohio River "Brookport" Bridge in Paducah.

In a press release sent out Thursday, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet revealed plans in an attempt to eliminate illegal truck traffic across the Brookport Bridge.

New signs are planned which will indicate a 15-ton weight limit, reiterating the 9-foot load width.  A new 9.5 foot barrier is being designed to go towards the end of the bridge as a measure to prevent vehicles over that height.

The bridge, which has been closed since May 8 to allow a contractor to complete $400,000 in repairs and maintenance, will include three new concrete pier caps with a protective carbon fiber wrap.  Although there is still lots to do, officials are hoping to have the bridge reopened well before the November 1 target date.

KYTC Chief Engineer Kyle Poat says that trucks have commonly ignored the width restrictions, which has prompted the extra measures.

“When the bridge reopens, additional restrictions and barriers will be in place to eliminate all truck traffic,” Poat said. “Our goal is to protect the bridge for the long-term and preserve it so that it safely serves the most people for the longest time possible.”

While maintenance and repair work on the bridge continues, motorists traveling between Kentucky and Illinois continue to detour through the I-24 Ohio River Bridge at Paducah.

“If your vehicle is more than eight feet wide, if you are pulling a trailer hauling much more than a riding lawn mower, you should probably use the I-24 Ohio River Bridge to cross between Illinois and Kentucky,” Poat said. “We need for people who regularly commute across the Brookport Bridge to buy into this and help us preserve this bridge well into the future.”

The bridge carries approximately 5,000 vehicles across the Ohio River every day between Paducah and Brookport.