Wickcliffe, Ky.—The US 51 Ohio River “Cairo” Bridge will likely remain closed until sometime this weekend, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. It was closed to all traffic at 6 p.m. Friday, due to floodwaters covering a section of the Kentucky approach.
The bridge may be reopened either Saturday or Sunday, but the closure could be extended if substantial rainfall sustains floodwaters beyond those days. Kentucky Highway personnel are closely monitoring the site.
The closure between Wickliffe, KY, and Cairo, IL, severs a critical transportation corridor used by cross-country truckers, as well as local commuters. Closing the crossing creates an 80+ mile detour through Southern Illinois to get from Cairo to Wickliffe, a trip that is normally about 8 miles.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has activated message boards along Interstate 24 to alert travelers to the bridge closure, and has placed additional message boards along routes that lead to the bridge. The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Missouri Department of Transportation have assisted by placing message boards on approach routes.
KYTC Engineers closed the bridge due to safety concerns about the depth of water on the roadway and recurring issues with drift floating into travel lanes.
Approximately 4,700 vehicles cross the US 51 Ohio River “Cairo” Bridge in an average day.
Photo by Michael Copeland of flooded fields in the area of the “Cairo Bridge”. Photo taken from the Cairo side of the bridge.
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