The KY. 56/Ill. 13 Ohio River Bridge at Shawneetown was closed for a period this morning due to a barge hit.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the H.B. Stewart was pushing 15 empty barges when it grazed a pier at 5:38 a.m., this morning. The bridge did no re-open until just before 9 a.m.
The impact with the second pier out from the Kentucky side of the river broke several cables holding the tow together. The pilot reported only minor damage to the barges.
The incident prompted the Coast Guard to order the Shawneetown Bridge closed to traffic. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet bridge inspector was dispatched to run a safety check on the bridge before traffic can resume.
The Shawneetown Bridge connects Ky. 56 (Morganfield-Shawneetown Road) at the 0-mile marker with Ill. 13 across the Ohio River between Morganfield and Shawneetown. About 3,800 vehicles cross the bridge in an average day.
The 3,200-foot structure opened to traffic in 1956, maintaining a historic transportation link that started with ferry service at the site as early as 1802.
