Floodwaters on the Ohio River have dropped sufficiently to allow the Cave-in-Rock Ferry to resume service at 6 a.m., CDT, on Thursday, April 2, 2020.
The ferry closed at 7 p.m., on Friday, March 28, when floodwaters crossed KY 91 near the Kentucky Landing.
The Cave-in-Rock Ferry normally has to close when Ohio River floodwaters are in the 42 ft. range on the Shawneetown gauge or in the 43 ft range on the Golconda gauge. The river was at 39.98 on the Shawneetown gauge and the Golconda gauge was at 42.82 when the ferry closed. Based on the river forecast, the ferry plans to resume service on the regular schedule Thursday morning.
Over the last few days, the Crittenden County Highway Maintenance Crew has been clearing debris from the flooded section of KY 91 at the Kentucky Landing as water has slowly dropped. Removing debris from the roadway every few days will help to expedite efforts to clear the roadway and allow the ferry to reopen in the morning.
The Cave-In-Rock Ferry connects KY 91 with ILLINOIS Route 1 across the Ohio River between Crittenden County, KY, and Hardin County, IL.
The ferry normally operates from 6:00 a.m. to 9:50 p.m. central time, 7 days a week. The ferry carries about 500 vehicles across the Ohio River in an average day.
The Cave-In-Rock Ferry is at Ohio River navigation mile point 881.0.
The Cave-In-Rock Ferry is operated by an independent contractor with joint funding from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Illinois Department of Transportation through a ferry authority.
Video and photos of the ferry’s final run today are posted at www.facebook.com/CIRFerry.
Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KYTC Highway District 1 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.
Navigate traffic with KYTC at GoKY.ky.gov, and Waze, www.waze.com or with the WAZE App.
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