The 3,495-foot Eggner’s Ferry Bridge, designated as U.S. Route 68 and Kentucky State Route 80, opened to traffic on March 25, 1932 and was raised in 1943 as part of the Kentucky Lake project. On January 26, 2012, at 8:10 PM CST, a 322-foot section of the bridge collapsed after being struck by a tow-boat barge.

 

A dive team from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plan on installing sensors on a damaged pier of the bridge that will detect the degree of tilt and can detect movement. While emergency inspections found the western half of the span to be in stable condition, the a pier on the eastern span was moved out of position.

 

There are more questions now than ever on the future of the out-of-commission span. As Eggner’s Ferry Bridge was slated for replacement with a tied-arch bridge design, is it feasible to complete repairs to the pier and install a new superstructure if it is expected that it will be demolished shortly after? How seriously will the bridge, which is indefinitely closed, affect local businesses? What role did the navigation lights on the bridge have in the incident?

 

On Saturday and Sunday, I traveled to western Kentucky to photograph the span.

 

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Further Reading

a. Eggner's Ferry Bridge in Photographs: http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/01/30/eggners-ferry-bridge-in-photographs/

b. Bridge Collapses in Kentucky: http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/01/27/bridge-collapses-in-kentucky/

c. Eggner's Ferry Bridge (US 62/KY 80), with replacement span images: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/eggners-ferry-bridge/

The rust alone on that bridge doesn't look comforting.  Good thing no one was hurt.

Oh, it's just surface rust - nothing unusual. The bridge is not structurally deficient, but it is narrow, has a terrible sight distance, and is not pedestrian or bike friendly. Both that bridge and its twin at Barkley Lake were in the process of being replaced.

Oy.

It is sort of an odd looking bridge, isn't it?  It makes me think of a roller coaster.

There shouldn't be any questions what to do if a permanent span is in the near future.  There are several companies in the US and Canada that would be able to ship a rental section to keep this bridge in working order.  Leasing a temporary section would be a lot cheaper than the state rebuilding the section from scratch only to tear it down.  This is why bridge rental companies exist.

I was curious what type of cargo would be hauled on such a vessel.  Apparently rocket components for NASA.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57372382/ship-that-hit-ky-bridge-has-precious-space-cargo/