Blue Bridge to Open Early – Walk it Friday

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is joining with the City of Owensboro and Daviess County Government to declare Friday, September 30^th as “Bridge Day” on the KY 2262 Ohio River Bridge. A contractor will finish a deck rehab project Owensboro’s Blue Bridge about 4 days early, allowing the bridge to be available to pedestrians before reopening to automobile traffic Friday night.

To celebrate early completion of the work, pedestrians and bicyclists will have exclusive use of the bridge for about 8 hours before normal vehicle traffic is restored. Highway officials say completion of the partial deck rehab 3 days ahead of schedule provided an opportunity to allow the public to have access to the bridge.

“The Blue Bridge has been an important part of life in Owensboro and the surrounding area since it opened to traffic in 1940,” said Chief District Engineer Kevin McClearn. “We discussed opening the deck for public access if things worked out to allow it. The Mayor and County Judge-Executive expressed an interest in providing the public a chance to walk and bike the bridge for a few hours. It has only been in the last couple of days that we were able to assure we could do a ‘bridge day’ on Friday.”

Owensboro Mayor Ron Payne says the bridge day event provides a unique opportunity for area citizens to get a close up view of the bridge and nearby Owensboro riverfront project.

“We wanted to allow people an opportunity to walk or bicycle the length of the bridge while enjoying the fall weather and beautiful scenery,” Mayor Payne said. “Normally, as you cross the bridge by car or truck you’re focused on driving. Walking or biking across the bridge provides a unique view of downtown Owensboro, the bridge, and our riverfront improvements.”

Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly encouraged area citizens to bring their families and participate.

“This bridge day event is a rare opportunity for an up close and personal look at the Blue Bridge and the new sections of deck,” Judge Mattingly said. “We’re fortunate that the contractor was able to finish early enough for us to plan this special event to celebrate the reopening of the bridge.”

McClearn noted that the public will be free to walk and bike on the 4,622 foot long deck from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Friday, September 30th. At 6:00 p.m., Friday, KYTC personnel and police will start clearing pedestrians off the bridge so that normal vehicle traffic flow can be restored by about 6:30 p.m., CDT.

“We think the public will be pleased with the new concrete sections and rehab work completed over the last 3 months,” McClearn said. “The contractor is completing sealing work on the remaining concrete which should help maintain the reliability of the deck in the future.”

McClearn also expressed his appreciation for the patience exhibited by commuters who depend on the Blue Bridge each day. “We recognize closing the bridge for this rehab work created a hardship for both commuters and businesses that depend on traffic generated by this important river crossing,” McClearn said. “We’re pleased to be able to provide this brief opportunity to celebrate the early completion of this important deck rehab work.”

During the Bridge Day activities the Owensboro Police Department will provide a security presence on the bridge deck. McClearn asked anyone accessing the bridge from the Indiana end to park so as to avoid blocking the roadway or other vehicles.

The 71-year-old structure is known officially as the KY 2262 Ohio River Bridge. It is also known as the Glover Cary Bridge and most commonly referred to locally as The Blue Bridge. It opened to traffic as a toll bridge in 1940. Tolls were removed in 1954. The structure carries about 8,500 vehicles across the Ohio River in an average day. KY 2262 connects with Indiana Route 161 at the north end of the bridge.

The $3 million partial deck rehab completed over the last 3 months is designed to extend the useful life of the bridge. The Indiana Department of Transportation is sharing 50 percent of the cost with Kentucky.