At 10pm tonight the Cave In Rock Ferry will close, says its owner.
Despite a flurry of negotiations over the past few days, the divide appears too great for a compromise at this point.
Owner Lonnie Lewis says new federal regulations are putting added financial demands on tugs and other equipment.
The ferry operates 16 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its payroll is more than $400,000 a year and Lewis said he just spent more than $400,000 to repair and update the backup tug boat.
According to information provided by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, an audit has been done on the ferry's financial records, which is prompting its negotiating position.
According to local officials, Kentucky and Illinois have upped their original contract offer. The reported proposal is now at about $1.2 million for a one-year deal to keep the ferry running.
However, there appear to be other concessions that have stalled the negotiations.
Bobby Miller, the attorney for the Cave In Rock Ferry, issued a statement late Tuesday. It said in part, “The Cave In Rock ferry agreed to sign a new contract to fund ferry operations for FY20-22 on the exact same terms that were negated for FY18-20 with no price increase. However, the Commonwealth of Kentucky refused. It is our understanding that the State of Illinois was agreeable,”
Lewis says he will use the tugs and barge to continue transporting his farming equipment across the river. He row crops in both states and owns real estate and farmland in both.
Because Lewis owns the franchise to operate a ferry at the Cave In Rock river crossing, the states are unable to negotiate with anyone else.
Building a bridge across the river to accommodate travelers is out of the question say officials on both sides of the river. The costs would likely far exceed $100 million, according to some estimates.
