The old US 60 bridge over the Cumberland River at Smithland was demolished with explosives on November 30, 2023.

From Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 1:

From Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 1:

Project continues to be ahead of schedule

PADUCAH, Ky. (April 16, 2021) — Construction of the New U.S. 60 bridge over the Cumberland River at Smithland, in Livingston County, reached another milepost ahead of schedule this week.

Jim Smith Contracting, prime contractor on the $63.6 million project, poured concrete on the two south approach spans this week and expects arrival and placement of additional beams for the north approach spans later this month.

KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle Poat says he and other engineers supervising the project are pleased with progress so far.

“Work continues to appear to be a month or two ahead of schedule,” Poat said. “That’s good, although on a project with a 40-month construction schedule, it's a bit early to do much celebrating.”

Jim Smith Contracting plans to begin construction on footers for the main piers nearest the river bank after the spring flood season in early May. The construction schedule calls for moving traffic to the new bridge in spring 2023.

Steel for the main truss has been ordered and should start arriving this summer. The 700-foot main span will be assembled off-site, beginning this fall, then floated to the construction site by barge and lifted into place in fall 2022.

The new bridge will have a 40-foot-wide, two-lane deck with 12-foot-wide driving lanes and 6-foot-wide shoulders, allowing motor vehicles to share the bridge with most farm equipment.

In addition to providing a significant link for U.S. 60 through western Kentucky, the new bridge will maintain a critical connection for Livingston County, which is divided by the Cumberland River.

The new bridge will replace a span built in 1931 and known as the Lucy Jefferson Lewis Memorial Bridge or Smithland Bridge.

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The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways has begun field survey work in preparation for planning a replacement of the US 60 bridge over the Cumberland River.

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From Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways District 1:

Governor Beshear announces plan to accelerate completion of new U.S. 60 Tennessee River Bridge at Ledbetter

Could be carrying traffic more than a year ahead of schedule

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 23, 2012) – Governor Steve Beshear today announced a plan to accelerate construction of the new U.S. 60 Tennessee River Bridge between Paducah and Ledbetter, enabling motorists to begin using it more than a year ahead of schedule.

“Travelers along U.S. 60, and especially the residents of McCracken and Livingston counties, are going to have a new ‘Ledbetter Bridge’ much earlier than expected,” Gov. Beshear said.

“We will cut a minimum of nine months off the estimated completion date of the project. But even better than that – we should be able to have two lanes of traffic on the new bridge by May 2013 – 14 months ahead of schedule,” Gov. Beshear said.

Under an agreement between the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the contractor, Kay & Kay/Haydon Bridge Joint Venture, the bridge contract is being converted from “working days” to a specified completion date.

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From Department of Highways District 1 (Sept. 1, 2009):

Preparations for New Bridge Require Closure of US 62/US 641 Across Kentucky Dam Starting September 9th
Closure to allow temporary connections to last about 3 weeks

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. — A contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to temporarily close US 62 and US 641 across Kentucky Dam starting Wednesday, September 9th, 2009, to begin preliminary road work required to tie in a new Tennessee River Bridge being constructed below the dam.

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From Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways District 1 on July 28, 2009:

Traffic ADVISORY

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to restrict traffic to one lane on the US 60 Tennessee River Bridge during daylight hours starting Monday, August 3, 2009.

The lane restriction is to allow a detailed inspection of the bridge structure. Inspectors plan to restrict traffic on the bridge to one lane from approximately 8:30 a.m. to approximately 3:30 p.m., CDT, each day. Inspectors will be conducting an arms-length inspection of the bridge superstructure, deck members, and substructure. The work is expected to take about a week.

Motorists should be alert for equipment, flaggers, and inspection personnel on the bridge deck in close proximity to traffic flow. Appropriate caution is required.

Also known as the Ledbetter Bridge and the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, the structure carries approximately 9,000 vehicles cross the Tennessee River Bridge in an average day, linking McCracken County and Livingston County at US 60 mile point 19.718.

All Kentucky bridges get a detailed arms-length inspection every two years. The US 60 Tennessee River Bridge was opened to traffic in 1931 as a toll bridge. Piers for a new bridge are currently under construction just upstream from the existing structure.

Unspecified budget delays are said to be delaying the completion of a new bridge over the Tennessee River below Kentucky Dam: Marshall County Tribune-Courier: Cutbacks slow Kentucky Dam lock project (July 7, 2006) 

WPSD NewsChannel 6 follows up on investigation they conducted four years ago that looked into the deteriorating state of bridges in Western Kentucky: WPSD NewsChannel 6: Bad Bridge: A Newschannel 6 Investigation; Status of Old Bridges That Need To Be Replaced (May 12, 2006) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently awarded a contract for the construction of the piers to support a new US 60 bridge over the Tennessee River near Paducah: Henderson Gleaner: Work to begin soon on new U.S. 60 bridge over Tennessee River (Jan. 25, 2006) 

WPSD NewsChannel 6 reports that Livingston County leaders report that for $100,000 they could have built the same bridge that the state is spending $300,000 to build. The bridge connects KY 133 to a small county road.

More information: WPSD NewsChannel 6: Kentucky: Road to Nowhere, Tracking Your Tax $ (May 23, 2005) 

Work has begun to appraise parcels of land that lie in the path of the US 641 widening project between Marion and Eddyville: The Crittenden Press: U.S. 641 appraisals are under way (March 31, 2005) 

Wrecks caused backups on I-71 and I-24 and summary of snow response statewide: Associated Press: Winter storm coats parts of Kentucky with snow, ice (Dec. 23, 2004) , Associated Press: Winter Storm Coats Much Of Kentucky With Snow, Ice (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Summary of snow response in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati: (Covington) Kentucky Post: Kentucky and Ohio counties declare weather emergencies (Dec. 23, 2004) , Cincinnati Enquirer: Now, time to dig out (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Snow response in the Glasgow area: Glasgow Daily Times: Winter storm hits Kentucky (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Motorists became stranded on part of the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway near Hopkinsville: (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era: Storm paralyzes region (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Gov. Fletcher has declared a state of emergency in the following counties and cities: McLean, Hancock, Livingston, Hopkins, City of Providence, City of Owensboro, City of Falmouth, City of Butler, Todd, Daviess, Crittenden, Carlisle, Shelby, Muhlenberg, Pendleton, Bullitt and Grayson: WAVE 3: Governor Ernie Fletcher's Office Declares State of Emergency (Dec. 23, 2004) 

I-64 in Indiana remains closed between Evansville and the Illinois state line. The National Guard has been rescuing stranded motorists along the interstate: Associated Press: Guardsmen Rescuing Travelers Stranded On Southern Indiana Highway (Dec. 23, 2004) , Associated Press: Stranded travelers recall cold night on snowbound highway (Dec. 23, 2004) , Associated Press: Snow Storm Snarls Much Of Southern, Central Indiana (Dec. 23, 2004) , Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana National Guardsmen rescue stranded motorists from Interstate 64 (Dec. 23, 2004) 

Current Conditions

Information regarding conditions on Kentucky’s highway can be obtained by calling 1-800-RDREPORT, by calling 511 from an in-state telephone, or by visiting ww.511.ky.gov .

Maps of roads that will be cleared by the state government can be found at: www.kytc.state.ky.us/maintenance/Snow_Ice.htm .

The US 60 Tennessee River bridge between Paducah and Ledbetter was closed for around an hour after a barge struck one of the bridge’s piers: WPSD NewsChannel 6: Bridge Shut Down After Barge Crash (Dec. 16, 2004) 

The completion of a new lock at Kentucky Dam is not expected until 2010 or 2011. Part of the project includes the relocation of US 62/US 641 and the Paducah & Louisville Railroad to new bridges downstream from the dam. Those bridges are currently under construction: (Hopkinsville) Kentucky New Era: TVA board applauds city, county growth (Oct. 28, 2004) 

Gov. Fletcher and Transportation Secretary Bailey have appointed chief highway engineers for nine of the Division of Highways' twelve districts.

• Edward “Ted” Merryman has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for districts 1 and 2. Previously, Merryman was chief highway engineer for district 2. [more information ]
• Greg Meredith has been reappointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 2. [more information ]
• Gary M. Raymer, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 4. [more information ]
• David Jones, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 6. [more information ]
• Jim Rummage, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 7. [more information ]
• Katrina O. Bradley, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for district 9. [more information ]
• Samuel H. Beverage, P.E. has been appointed as Chief Highway Engineer for districts 10 and 11. [ more information ]

More information: WKYT: Gov. Fletcher Hires New Highway Engineers (June 29, 2004) , Associated Press: Fletcher appoints top highway engineers (June 30, 2004) , Hardin County News-Enterprise: Highway engineer appointed in E'town (June 30, 2004) , Maysville Ledger-Independent: New KTC Engineer Sees District as Unique (July 2, 2004) 

The US Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of building a new rail and highway bridge over the Tennessee River just below Kentucky Dam. The bridge is part of a project to build a large navigation lock at Kentucky Dam. The total cost of the project is expected to be $650,000,000. The 1200-foot bridge is expected to open in 2006; lock construction should be completed in 2012.

The bridge will carry US 62 and US 641. Both routes currently cross the river via a road on top of the dam.

More information: WPSD NewsChannel 6: New bridge opens '06 (Nov. 6, 2003) 

Two-hundred-and-sixty-two photographs of Kentucky's roads have been added to this website. The new photo galleries include:

• Bridges of the Ohio River - Several of Kentucky's 40 bridges across the Ohio River.
• William H. Harsha Bridge Photographs - Photographs of Kentucky's first cable stayed bridge: the William H. Harsha bridge near Maysville.
• I-64 - Sherman Minton Bridge - The I-64 and US 150 bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville.
• Shortway Bridge - The Old KY 1120 bridge over the Licking River between Kenton and Campbell Counties.
• I-65 - John F. Kennedy Bridge - The I-65 bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville.
• US 31 - George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (Second Street Bridge) - The US 31 bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville.
• I-65 - Miscellaneous Images
• KY 30 - Miscellaneous Images - Photographs of the new section of KY 30 under construction in Laurel County.
• I-65 Warren County Construction - June 29, 2001
• I-65 Warren County Construction - May 22, 2002
• I-65 Warren County Construction - August 15, 2002
• I-65 Warren County Construction - July 5, 2003
• I-75 - Miscellaneous Images - Includes photographs of I-75 widening projects south of Lexington.
• William H. Natcher Bridge - October 26, 2002
• William H. Natcher Bridge - February 8, 2003
• Louisville - Miscellaneous Images
• KY 3 and KY 645 - Inez - January 3, 2003
• AA Highway - Miscellaneous Images
• KY 67 - Miscellaneous Images
• KY 80 - Miscellaneous Images - Along KY 80 in Pulaski and Laurel Counties.
• KY 101 and KY 259 - Edmonson County - November 18, 2001 - A new section of KY 259 and KY 101 under construction in Edmonson County.
• US 23 - Miscellaneous Images
• US 60 - Miscellaneous Images - Photographs of the Cumberland and Tennessee River bridges.

A few new images have been added to the KentuckyRoads.com - Miscellaneous Signs and KentuckyRoads.com - General Images galleries as well.

The I-24 bridge over the Cumberland River in Western Kentucky has been renamed in honor former Livingston County sheriff and judge executive Ralph Smith. Construction on the bridge itself began 1972.

More information: Lyon County's Herald Ledger: I-24 Bridge re-named in honor of Livingston Co. native Ralph Smith (Aug. 9, 2002) 

The February 2002 procurement bulletins from the KYTC's Division of Professional Services contain information about reconstructing the interchange between I-275 and KY 212 near the Greater Cincinnati Airport and about the construction of a new US 60 bridge over the Tennessee River. See BULL 02-06  on the KYTC website for more information.

WPSD NewsChannel 6 reports in this August 29, 2001 article  that residents of Reidland got their first look at plans for a new bridge over the Tennessee River between McCracken and Livingston Counties, and they are not happy with it. Many residents feel that it would destroy the small town.