US 41 Twin Bridges at Henderson closed by barge hit
Published: Mar. 18, 2011 at 10:00 PM CDT
HENDERSON, KY (KFVS) - The US 41 Twin Bridges at Henderson are closed due to a barge hit. Early reports indicate barges broke loose from a mooring upstream and hit piers on both of the bridges.
Early reports indicate barges broke loose from a mooring upstream and hit piers on both of the bridges.
The Coast Guard Reports the Motor Vessel Yvonne Conway was headed downstream with 12 empty barges when the two struck one of the piers of the northbound bridge. Seven of the barges broke free after the impact.
The Coast Guard indicated the incident happened about 4:00 p.m. on March 18, 2011. The crew of the tow boat did not indicate why they delayed reporting the incident.
A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet bridge inspection team is on the way to the bridge at this time. The bridges are expected to remain closed until at least 6:30 p.m. to allow a safety check of the bridge structure.
The US 41 Twin Bridges, also known as the Bi-State Viet Nam Gold Star Memorial Bridges, are located at US 41 mile point 19.649 about a mile south of the Kentucky-Indiana State Line. They carry approximately 40,000 vehicles per day across the Ohio River between Henderson, KY, and Evansville, IN.
The bridges are located about a mile downstream from the confluence of the Green River and the Ohio River at Ohio River navigation mile point 786.8.
The northbound bridge was opened to traffic on July 4, 1932. The southbound bridge was opened to traffic in December 1966.
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