CAIRO, IL (WSIL) � A key meeting took place Thursday night to discuss plans for replacing the nearly 90-year-old bridge that connects Cairo, IL to Wickliffe, KY.
Multiple generations of families have used the Highway 51 Ohio River Bridge.
“We’ve got family on this Illinois side,� said Kevil, KY resident Eric VanCleve. “We hunt [and] fish. There’s a lot of travel. It’s very important.�
The current bridge opened in the late 1930s.
“It's been awesome,� said VanCleve. “It's withstood the test of time.�
But Transportation officials from both Illinois and Kentucky know all good things must come to an end.
“The bridge that's there now was constructed during a different time when it was constructed, the average vehicle was a model, a Ford, and the average truck had a maximum weight of 28 tons,� said Keith Todd, Public Information Officer for District 1’s Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
On Thursday, officials gathered at Cairo High School to present plans for the new Highway 51 bridge to cross the Ohio River.
“It will be a Tied Arch Bridge, which is very similar to our Interstate 24 Tennessee River Bridge,� said Todd.
And many people attending Thursday’s meeting feel the new bridge will be a benefit for everyone.
“I don't see anything but positive for the new bridge especially with it being wider and the access getting on and off of it,� said Eddie Kaletch from Wickliffe, KY.
Construction is set to begin in 2028 pending funding. Todd says it should take four to five years for the bridge to be completed. Until then the current bridge will stay open.
“We’re real fortunate these bridges have lasted pretty much the way they were envisioned when they were built,� he said.
MANY ARE ALSO HOPING THE BRIDGE WILL HELP BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH TO THE AREA.
“The better transportation system you have, the better business is going to look at it,� said Kaletch. “You know, they got access in and out, and of course, they've reopened the paper mill now, so that would be a plus for them to, especially with the log trucks they've got and getting their product back over to the interstate.�
To learn more about the project, go to their .
To see a animation of the Bridge, Click .
