Owensboro's Blue (Glover H. Cary Bridge) Bridge

Ghost Images Photography > Owensboro's Blue (Glover H. Cary Bridge) Bridge

The Blue Bridge over the Ohio River at Owensboro, Ky., will reopen to traffic this evening, but first the public will have a chance to walk, jog and bicycle across the span as part of Bridge Day activities. It has been 71 years and 108 days since people were last allowed to walk across the Glover H. Cary Bridge in the complete absence of motor vehicles. It reopened to pedestrians and bicyclists at 8 a.m. this morning. Keith Todd, spokesman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, said Bridge Day will give the public a chance to walk across the 4,622 foot-long bridge deck until 6 p.m., when transportation officials and Owensboro police will clear the bridge for motor vehicles. More than 12,000 people took advantage of Bridge Day in Owensboro.

The $3 million partial deck rehab completed over the last 3 months is designed to extend the useful life of the bridge. The Indiana Department of Transportation is sharing 50 percent of the cost with Kentucky.

The Glover H. Cary Bridge is a continuous truss bridge that spans the Ohio River between Owensboro, Kentucky and Spencer County, Indiana. It was named for the late U.S. Congressman Glover H. Cary (1885-1936), and opened to traffic in September 1940. It was originally a toll bridge, but tolls were discontinued in 1954. The Blue Bridge, officially the Kentucky 2262 Ohio River Bridge, has been closed for repairs since early July.