About Eggner’s Ferry Bridge
As part of the upgrading of US Route 68 and KY Route 80 to four lanes throughout southern Kentucky, the old Eggner’s Ferry Bridge was proposed to be replaced with a modern four-lane crossing.
In mid-2007, the bridge selection process began which included evaluating arch, girder, conventional truss, and cable-stay designs. 2 A tied-arch design unique to the state was selected on July 14, 2009. The proposed bridge would include four 11-foot travel lanes and an eight-foot pedestrian and cycling path. 1
Construction of a new bridge over a lagoon on the west side of Kentucky Lake began by Jim Smith Contracting of Grand Rivers in May 2013, 14 16 and construction of the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge began by Johnson Brothers Construction of Fort Worth, Texas in February 2014. 12 15 A groundbreaking ceremony attended by Governor Steve Beshear and other state and local leaders was held on September 10. 15 The 550-foot, 5-million-pound arch main span, built off-site, was lifted into place on December 1, 2015. 12 The new Eggner’s Ferry Bridge was completed at the cost of $133 million 13 and opened to traffic on April 8, 2016. 11
Structure
Dimensions & Classification
| Structural Form | Arch — Tied |
|---|---|
| Main Span | 550 feet |
| Deck Width | 74.5 feet |
| Total Height of Structure | 110 feet |
Photographs
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Sources & Citations
References for this location, in MLA format.
Show all 16 sources
- Wolfe, Chuck. “Governor Beshear unveils design for US 68 lakes bridges.” Office of Public Affairs, 14 July 2009. ↗ Accessed 26 Jan. 2012.
- “Eggner Ferry Bridge collapses after ship strike.” WPSD-6, 26 Jan. 2012. ↗ Accessed 26 Jan. 2012.
- Long, James. “No reported injuries in Ky. bridge collapse.” KFVS-12, 26 Jan. 2012. ↗ Accessed 26 Jan. 2012.
- “Bridge Type Selection.” Lake Bridges over Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley, 26 Jan. 2012. ↗ Accessed 26 Jan. 2012.
- Harper, Thomas D. Between the Rivers. Trigg County, Arcadia, 2010.
- The Largest: Kentucky Dam. Tennessee Valley Authority in Vintage Postcards, Arcadia, 2005.
- Engineering News-Record. 132, McGraw, 1944.
- American Highways. American Association of State Highway Officials, 1948.
- “Bridge collapses in Kentucky after being rammed by hulking freighter carrying space rocket parts.” Daily Mail, 27 Jan. 2012. ↗ Accessed 27 Jan. 2012.
- “Update from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.” The Front Blog, 28 Jan. 2012. ↗ Accessed 30 Jan. 2012.
- “Eggners Ferry Bridge.” Four Rivers Explorer, 12 May 2016.
- “New arch soars above existing Eggners Ferry Bridge.” WPSD, 2 Dec. 2015.
- “Work Zone Traffic Shift on US 68/KY 80 Eggners Ferry Bridge this afternoon.” Marshall County Daily, 17 Jun. 2019.
- Richardson, Kerri and Terry Sebastian. “Gov. Beshear Announces Award of Contract for Construction of New Bridge over Lake Barkley.” Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office, 11 Feb. 2015.
- Richardson, Kerri and Terry Sebastian. “Construction Underway on New Span to Replace Eggners Ferry Bridge.” Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office, 10 Sept. 2014.
- Richardson, Kerri and Terry Sebastian. “Lagoon Bridge project gets underway, marking first step toward new bridge over Kentucky Lake at Aurora.” Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office, 7 May 2013.
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