New span put in place on damaged bridged

A contractor crew has put in place a 322-foot-long replacement span on the Eggners Ferry Bridge on Kentucky Lake, closing the gaping hole created when a cargo vessel struck the bridge on the night of Jan. 26.

The span was Tuesday by a crew from Hall Contracting of Kentucky Inc., based in Louisville. The crew is now at work on construction of the bridge deck, which will be of reinforced concrete. The venerable, two-lane bridge carries U.S. 68/KY 80 across the lake between Marshall and Trigg counties. It also serves as the western entrance to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet awarded Hall Contracting a $7 million, emergency contract to repair and reopen the bridge by Sunday, May 27 – the midpoint of Memorial Day weekend, traditional start of the summer tourism season so vital to the Lakes Region of Western Kentucky.

Much cooler conditions behind the front