TRIGG COUNTY, Ky. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – UPDATE: The bridge has reopened as of 12:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has closed the existing US68/KY 80 Lake Barkley Bridge at Canton in Trigg County as of Tuesday morning.
The bridge will remain closed for up to 48 hours to allow placement of the main arch span on the New Lake Barkley Bridge under construction just downstream from the existing bridge.
Officials said if all goes as planned, the bridge is expected to reopen to traffic by about 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 16.
US 68/KY 80 traffic will be detoured via Interstate 24, the Purchase Parkway, and US 641. This will add about 26 minutes of driving time or 35 miles to a trip between Cadiz and Murray.
In addition to closing the existing US 68/KY 80 Lake Barkley Bridge to vehicular traffic for up to 48 hours, commercial tow boat traffic and pleasure boat traffic on Lake Barkley will also be halted for up to 72 hours.
There will be a 2,000 ft. clear zone around the work area during placement of the 550 ft. basket handle steel arch.
The existing US 68/KY 80 Lake Barkley Bridge is at U.S. 68 mile point 8.56 in Trigg County and serves as the eastern entrance to Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area. The bridge is at Cumberland River navigation mile point 63.1.
PCL Civil Construction of Denver is the prime contractor on the $128.3 million project. The new bridge is expected to be ready for 2-lane traffic sometime in the Spring of 2018 with finish work on the new bridge continuing through 2018.