The pilot of the ocean freight vessel Delta Mariner told the Coast Guard that he saw no vehicles on the deck when the boat struck the bridge, according to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KyTC) officials. Search teams in boats from the Aurora Fire Department and Marshall County Rescue Squad reported there was no indication that vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the strike.
No one was injured on the ship, either, though it carried away part of the decking and truss of the bridge on its bow before it could stop. It was traveling downstream toward the dam.
About 2,800 vehicles per day cross the bridge which is the only Kentucky access to LBL from its western shores. U.S. 68/Ky. 80 runs through the recreational area, with another bridge over Lake Barkley in Trigg County. The next nearest road crossing into the recreational area west of Kentucky Lake is at Grand Rivers at the northern tip of LBL where The Trace begins. LBL can also be accessed at the southern end of The Trace at Dover, Tenn.
Authorities are asking people to stay clear of the area. No injuries have been reported, either to traffic crossing the bridge or on the tow that hit it. Kentucky State Police request that motorists who normally travel westbound on U.S. 68/Ky. 80 through LBL to please avoid the recreation area and Ky. 453 or The Trace. KSP request motorist to instead use the Interstate 24 corridor to the Purchase Parkway to access the portion of western Kentucky west of LBL.
Several officials visited the site today, including Congressman Ed Whitfield, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, KyTC Secretary Mike Hancock and Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson. In fact, Gov. Steve Beshear ordered today an immediate review of options for restoring traffic flow over the bridge.
“We’ll turn our attention to a full inspection of the bridge and determine what steps we can take next to speed up the replacement of that important artery," the governor said in a news release.
"At this moment, we're assessing the situation to see whether repair is feasible. We also will be exploring whether construction of the new bridge can be accelerated," added Sec. Hancock.
 |
| PHOTO BY MARK BEDUHN |
Jeff Ellis, a sales executive with the aggregate, paving and road construction company Rogers Group, said the collapsed bridge has really hurt the business. Ellis, of Marion, reports about 70 percent of the trucks from its Canton quarry on the opposite side of LBL pass over the collapsed bridge on an average work day.
Several officials visited the site today, including Congressman Ed Whitfield, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, KyTC Secretary Mike Hancock and Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson. In fact, Gov. Steve Beshear ordered today an immediate review of options for restoring traffic flow over the bridge.
“We’ll turn our attention to a full inspection of the bridge and determine what steps we can take next to speed up the replacement of that important artery," the governor said in a news release.
"At this moment, we're assessing the situation to see whether repair is feasible. We also will be exploring whether construction of the new bridge can be accelerated," added Sec. Hancock.
Just two months ago, part of the under-structure of the bridge was hit by a tow, closing the bridge for an inspection period.
Both the Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley U.S. 68/Ky. 80 bridges that allow access to LBL are scheduled to be replaced in 2017 by modern four-lane spans at the cost of about $350 million.
The Delta Mariner, without a load, displaces two tons of water at 312 feet in length and 56 feet across. According to The Journal of Commerce, Boeing uses the Delta Mariner, owned by Foss Maritime Co., to ship Delta IV rocket parts, including booster cores, to air force bases in Florida and California. The vessel carries rockets from a plant in Decatur, Ala. to the Gulf of Mexico and then to Cape Canaveral in Florida or to California via the Panama Canal.
For more, visit WestKentuckyStar.com or WPSD Local 6 online.
