The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently presented proposed alternatives for rebuilding and extending the eastern end of the Owensboro bypass: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: Bypass extension plans to be displayed; Affected property shown for 3.4-mile project (Dec. 8, 2005) , Messenger-Inquirer: Residents along bypass extension route get look at plan (Dec. 9, 2005) 

A project to widen US 231 in Indiana between I-64 and the William H. Natcher Bridge might not be complete until 2011 under Indiana’s new ten-year plan: Messenger-Inquirer: Final leg of widening could be done in 2011; Work part of Indiana's 10-year road plan (Sept. 30, 2005) 

Budget concerns in Indiana may delay a project to widen US 231 in Southern Indiana from the Natcher Bridge to I-64. The priority of unstarted highway projects has been under review since Gov. Mitch Daniels took office in January. Under the revised 10-year plan the US 231 widening project might be delayed until 2014.

Local leaders (including officials from Daviess County in Kentucky) met with Indiana’s Gov. Mitch Daniels last week and were assured that while the project would be delayed, it would not be delayed until 2014.

More information: Evansville Courier&Press: Officials upset over potential U.S. 231 delays (May 4, 2005) , Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: U.S. 231 expansion on hold (May 4, 2005) , Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: Officials: U.S. 231 expansion project back on track (May 12, 2005) 

An east extension of the US 60 Bypass around Owensboro has been identified as Owensboro’s top transportation priority by the Owensboro-Daviess County Urban Area Transportation's technical advisory committee. Construction on the project to extend the bypass toward the Natcher Bridge is expected to begin in 2008 and be completed by 2011.

The committee also rejected the idea of widening Frederica Street (US 431) to six lanes.

More information: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: Panel rules out six-laning Frederica (Feb. 23, 2005) 

Daviess County Judge-Executive Reid Haire would like to see an new interstate-grade outer loop constructed around Owensboro: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: Haire pushes 'outer loop'; Road would connect I-69, I-66 spurs (Feb. 20, 2005) 

The Green River Area Development District is planning a detailed study of traffic in downtown Owensboro. Traffic patterns in Owensboro have changed after the opening of the William H. Natcher Bridge to the east of the city.

More information: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: GRADD to study downtown traffic (March 23, 2004) 

Transportation Cabinet Secretary Bailey told state legislators on Wednesday that no projects were cut from this year's version of the Six Year Highway plan; however, some projects have delayed due to the states budget problems.

The list of projects is too long to list here; however, some notable projects are listed below.

• $118 million for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Bridges Project. Some of this money will be raised by selling bonds that would be repaid when promised federal funding is allocated for the project.
• $78 million for reconstruction of the Owensboro bypass to the east of its current alignment. This is meant to improve access to the William H. Natcher Bridge.
• Widening of I-64 from Louisville to Shelbyville.
• Widening of I-65 from the Tennessee State Line to Bowling Green.
• Widening of I-75 in Scott and Grant counties.
• Southern extensions of both the Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway and the William H. Natcher Parwkay.

A notable absence from the list is funding for replacing the I-71/I-75 Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River; however, the project remains on the unscheduled needs list and officials claim that it is still a priority. Construction on the project is still over a decade away.

This year the transportation cabinet has split the list into projects that will receive federal funding and projects that will not receive federal funding. Projects that will be funded only by the state are expected to be delayed and will be prioritized by need.

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The four-lane Natcher Bridge currently serves only 4,500 vehicles per day while the two-lane Grover Carey Bridge in Owensboro serves 10,000 vehicles per day and the two-lane Bob Cummings-Lincoln Trail Bridge at Hawesville serves 8,900 vehicles per day; however, transportation officials expect traffic on the bridge to increase once an extension of the Owensboro bypass is completed and US 231 is widened to four lanes in Indiana.

More information: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: Traffic count expected to rise (Dec. 7, 2003) , Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: U.S. 231 widening moving forward (Dec. 14, 2003) 

Jan. 15, 2004 Update: Courier-Journal: New bridge has less traffic than projected (Jan. 13, 2004) 

Jan. 20, 2004 Update: The (Henderson) Gleaner: Study: Natcher Bridge traffic light (Jan. 13, 2004) 

The William H. Natcher Bridge was one of 24 projects nationwide to receive an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Natcher Bridge Design Earns National Honor Award (March 19, 2003) 

Updated: 21-Jul-2003 2:00PM CDT

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet released the 2003 version of the official highway map on May 29. There were no apparent major changes over the previous year's, except for the fact that on June 10, the map was modified to show the former Daniel Boone Parkway as the Hal Rogers Parkway.

More information: KYTC: Official Highway Map 

The map is now available in rest areas. I picked up a copy at the Paducah Welcome Center yesterday. The cover art is a photograph of the William H. Natcher Bridge.

The new William H. Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River near Owensboro has been named as one of the Top 10 Bridges by Roads and Bridges Magazine.

More information: KYTC Press Release 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has recommended a route for an eastern extension of the Wendell H. Ford Expressway US 60 By-pass in Owensboro. The 4.5-mile recommended route begins north of Kentucky 54 on the current US 60 By-pass and connects to US 60/US 231 east of KY 144. The extension is intended to relieve congestion along US 60/US 231 east of Owensboro. Traffic on the current route is expected to increase now that US 231 has been rerouted as part of the approach to the Natcher Bridge.

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: State makes recommendation for $53 million bypass extension (10/25/2002) 

The William H. Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River northeast of Owensboro opened to traffic on October 21, 2002.

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: Natcher Bridge opens to traffic (Oct. 22, 2002)  (free registration required), Messenger-Inquirer: Natcher Bridge on track for Monday opening (Oct. 15, 2002)  (free registration required)

The Natcher Bridge probably won't open until around Oct. 10. Grouting of the tables was recently completed, and now wind ties must be attached to the cables. These ties are intended to restrict the movement of the cables during high wind. Other remaining work includes pouring concrete to complete the roofs of the two towers, painting, and electrical work. The construction equipment including two large cranes must be removed.

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: Bridge likely to open in Oct. (Sept. 12, 2002) 

New Route Numbers for Old US 231

Jacob Newkirk reports in this Usenet post  that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will probably renumber US 231 through downtown Owensboro as Kentucky 2155.

It has also been said that the Indiana Department of Transportation will renumber old US 231 in Indiana as Indiana 161. (See here  and here .)

The Glover Cary Bridge over the Ohio River at downtown Owensboro is in Kentucky so, if current plans hold, will be part of Kentucky 2155. The stateline is on the north side of the river, and the "Welcome to Kentucky" sign is at the north end of the bridge. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will continue to maintain the 62-year old bridge.

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer Bridge Coverage

The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer ran a series of articles about the Natcher Bridge and other area bridges in their August 30, 2002 edition. You need to complete their free registration to view these articles online:

• William H. Natcher Bridge timeline 
• The men behind the names 
• Solid foundation 
• A community of vision 
• The Missing Link? 
• A long, rocky road 
• Something old ... 
• ... something new 

A selection of a route for the proposed extension to the Owensboro by-pass will be announced in about two months, according to the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. When the preferred route is announced in October, the public will have 15 days to submit comments on the route. If the plans are finally approved, right-of-way acquisition could begin in 2003 with utility relocation in 2004 and construction in 2005.

The extension of the by-pass is expected to connect with the current by-pass near the Kentucky 54 interchange and connect with US 60 east of the US 60/KY 144 interchange.

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: Bypass extension route selection near (Aug. 25, 2002)  (free registration required)

Here a couple of links related to the dedication of the William H. Natcher Bridge:

• Natcher Bridge Dedication  - Picture from Gov. Patton's Web Site.
• Natcher Bridge Dedicated at Owensboro  - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Press Release dated Aug. 16, 2002.

The new William H. Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River was officially dedicated on Friday, August 16, 2002. The $70 million span connects eastern Daviess County, Kentucky to Spencer County in Indiana. During the dedication ceremony, politicians from both sides of the river remarked on the significance the new bridge will play in the development of Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana. They also recalled the hard work and determination of the late-U.S. Representative William H. Natcher for whom the bridge is named. After the ceremony, despite the rain, hundreds of visitors took an opportunity to walk across the nearly completed bridge.

The rumor date for the opening of the bridge is Sept. 25. Installation of guardrails and striping on the Indiana side still needs to be completed. Also the grouting of the cable stays has not yet been completed.

When the bridge opens US 231 will be rerouted onto the eastern portion of Owensboro's US 60 bypass, then along US 60, then onto a new four lane highway, and then across the bridge into Indiana. No word on what route number, if any, will be used to redesignate the existing route of US 231 which includes the Cary Bridge in downtown Owensboro.

A decorative "William H. Natcher Bridge" sign on display at the ceremony's stage.	Kentucky Gov. Patton and Indiana Gov. O'Bannon cut a ribbon marking the official dedication of the bridge.	The south tower viewed from directly underneath.
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The KYTC has posted this press release  with information about the Natcher Bridge dedication ceremony. As mentioned previously on this website, the dedication ceremony will be held on the Kentucky side of the bridge at 1:30 pm Central Time. Parking will be available on the roadway leading to the bridge and at Hawe's Truck Stop located on 6057 SR 2830 (Old US 60). A shuttle bus will take visitors to the bridge.

Also, the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer notes that there have been no fatalities or very serious injuries during the 5-1/2 year construction of the bridge (the most serious reported injury was a broken ankle); however, six men were killed when a plane carrying engineers to study the construction site crashed at takeoff in 1990.

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: Bridge exacted a toll in lives (Aug. 6, 2002)  (free registration required)

I recently discovered this presentation  about the William H. Natcher Bridge on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Web Site. The presentation contains information about the bridge along with pictures taken at several points during its construction.

More information: The William Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River 

The William H. Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River near Owensboro will be dedicated on August 16; however, the bridge will not open to traffic that day. The approach on the Indiana side has yet to be completed.

The dedication ceremony beings at 1:30 pm on August 16 and is open to the public. Visitors will be able to walk across the bridge. Visitors will be able to park on the highway on the Kentucky side of the bridge.

The image below shows the general location of the bridge:

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: Procession over bridge will mark dedication of new span (July 14, 2002) 

I've updated the William H. Natcher Bridge page with pictures that I took on June 25 and February 16. The bridge and the Kentucky approach appear to be essentially complete. There was some work underway to install lighting along the bridge. The Indiana approach is still under construction.

View from the Kentucky shore.	The bridge viewed from Indiana Route 66.	Facing south on the Kentucky approach.
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The dedication of the Natcher Bridge has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts with Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon and Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton. The bridge is now nearly complete.

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: Bridge Ceremony Postponed (June 14, 2002) 

The new William H. Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River at Owensboro will be dedicated at 10:00 am on August 2nd. It has been 62 years since Owensboro's only other Ohio River bridge, the Glover H. Cary Bridge, was dedicated on July 30, 1940.

More information: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: Natcher Bridge dedication Aug. 2 (May 12, 2002)  (Free registration required)

The William H. Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River near Owensboro is expected to open in late-July or early-August. Several tasks still remain to be completed: the construction of two foot-eight inch tall barrier walls on the outside edges of the bridge and down the center of the bridge, application of the final layer of concrete for the driving surface of the bridge, final tensioning of the cable stays, grouting of the cables, and painting of the steel undercarriage of the bridge. No date has been chosen for the grand opening of the bridge.

More information: Messenger-Inquirer: Natcher Bridge construction enters final phase (April 14, 2002)  (no longer online)

J. Bryan Nicol, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, recently made two speeches in Owensboro about the impact of road projects in Southern Indiana on the highway system in Kentucky. INDOT is widening US 231 from the new William H. Natcher Bridge to I-64. This project is expected to be completed in 2007. Eventually the widened US 231 will connect with the I-69 extension providing Owensboro with even better access to the road system.

More information: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: U.S. 231, I-69 projects moving forward  (no longer online)

Yea, KentuckyRoads.com 200th headline!

This Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer article  (no longer online) examines Daviess County road projects that are listed in the 2002 Six Year Highway Plan. The projects include:

• an eastern extension to the US 60 By-pass to divert traffic heading towards the William H. Natcher Bridge slated to begin construction in 2005,
• widening of Southtown Boulevard,
• reconstruction of the northernmost six miles of the Natcher Parkway,
• reconstruction of the approach the Cary Bridge over the Ohio River,
• and several pavement rehabilitation projects and bridge replacements.

The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reports in this article  (no longer online) that the final section of the William H. Natcher Bridge has been placed. The new cable-stayed bridge over the Ohio River is expected to open in late July or early August.

This Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer article  (no longer online) reports that work at the intersection of US 60 and Bypass US 60 greatly reduced business at shops near the work zone. The work, to add extra turn lanes, was completed in December. Traffic is expected to increase this summer when the William H. Natcher Bridge opens. Eventually the US 60 by-pass will be extended further east to reduce traffic near Owensboro.

The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reports in this article  that work on the Natcher Bridge is progressing well. Only three sections of the deck remain to placed, and they should be in place by the first of the year. The bridge and approaches are expected to be complete around the end of July.

According to this Messenger-Inquirer article  (no longer online), a decision on the route for a new eastern extension of the Owensboro Bypass is still months away.

A new feature on the William H. Natcher Bridge has been added to the web site. It contains an overview of the project, a map of the project area, photographs of the bridge taken on August 9, 2001, and links to other sources of information about the bridge.

The William H. Natcher Bridge is currently being built over the Ohio River near Owensboro. It is expected to be the new route of US 231 when complete.

Taken near the IN 66/US 231 intersection. Both towers and the deck are visible.	Traffic congestion at the Kentucky end of the Cary Bridge.	The barrier along the south approach of the bridge is still under construction.
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The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reports in this July 22, 2001 article  (no longer online) that work on the new cable stayed bridge over the Ohio River near Owensboro should be complete in about a year. The new bridge will carry US 231 and will divert traffic from the existing bridge in downtown Owensboro.