On Thursday evening, January 26, 2012, a cargo ship seriously damaged a bridge in the Land Between the Lakes Region. This bridge, also known as the Eggner Ferry Bridge, is on US-68 and KY-80 and sits about 20 feet above the waters of the Tennessee River and Kentucky Lake. This highway is also the main road east and west connecting Kenlake State Resort Park and Lake Barkley State Resort Park and carries about 2,800 vehicles a day.
The ship was traveling up river and carrying aircraft parts when the too tall vessel struck the decking of the bridge. The impact completely took out two spans of the bridge forcing immediate closure of the highway. Images from early Friday morning show the ship still encased in the remains of the bridge.
A local man, Robert Parker of Cadiz, and his wife were traveling home in the rain Thursday evening around 8:00 p.m. (Central) when suddenly he noticed the missing 20-foot section of the bridge.
“All of a sudden I see the road’s gone and I hit the brakes,” Parker said. “It got close.”
Parker said he stopped his pickup within five feet of the missing section. Two cars behind him stopped on his bumper and he saw another car on the other side of the missing section also stopped.
Kentucky Department of Parks is suggesting that anyone, especially those traveling from the east and the Louisville area, with plans to go to either Kenlake or Lake Barkley consider using I-24 to the north as a detour until repairs are made to this bridge.
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