Cairo Ohio River Bridge
Photos
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View at ground level |
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View from observation deck |
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Close-up of Kentucky side |
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Oblique view from southwest |
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View from northwest |
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Underneath |
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Close-up of underside |
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Deck truss span |
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Close-up of deck truss girders |
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Under the deck truss |
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West end |
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Western portal |
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Heading into Kentucky |
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View of Cairo Ohio River Bridge View of Cairo Ohio River Bridge from Cairo Illinois. Photo taken by David B. Haun in May 2008 |
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View of Illinois end of the bridge View of Illinois end of the Cairo Ohio River bridge. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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View of Cairo Ohio River bridge tower A view of the Cairo Ohio River Bridge Tower. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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View signs for Cairo Ohio River Bridge View of signs for the Cairo Ohio River bridge at the North end. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge to Kentucky. Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge into Kentucky good view signs and view of portal. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge deck truss spans. Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge into Kentucky deck truss spans Illinois side. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge Portal view Good view Illinois side portal Riding across into Kentucky. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across toward Kentucky meeting traffic Riding across Cairo Ohio River bridge into Kentucky meeting Illinois bound traffic. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across in Kentucky Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge into Kentucky. Look at the bridge lattice work. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across into Kentucky passing a tower Riding across into Kentucky passing a tower of the Cairo Ohio River Bridge. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge into Kentucky view of the trusses. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge behind Portal Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge into Kentucky behind the South Portal. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge Kentuky approach. Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge Kentucky Approach. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Continuing Cairo Ohio River Bridge Kentucky approach. Continuing Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge Kentucky approach. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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About to Finish Cairo Ohio River Bridge approach. About to Finish Riding across Cairo Ohio River Bridge Kentucky approach. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Rounding the bend to Finish Cairo Ohio River Bridge Rounding the bend in the Cairo Ohio River Bridge riding across into Kentucky. Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Bridge plaque Photo taken by James Baughn in June 2009 |
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Toll freeing plaque Photo taken by James Baughn in June 2009 |
Facts
- Overview
- Cantilevered through truss over the Ohio River on US 51/60 between Cairo, Illinois and Wickliffe, Kentucky
- Status
- Open to two-lane traffic
- History
- Built 1937; rehabilitated 1979
- Builders
- - Modjeski and Masters
- Mt. Vernon Bridge Co.
- Design
- Cantilevered through truss
- Dimensions
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Length of largest span: 800.0 ft.
Total length: 5,863.7 ft.
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 19.6 ft.
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +36.99403, -89.14577 (decimal degrees)
36°59'39" N, 89°08'45" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/309050/4096362 (zone/easting/northing)
- USGS topographic map
- Wyatt
- Inventory numbers
- IL 002-0006 (Illinois bridge number)
BH 15008 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 05/2004)
- Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Appraisal: Functionally obsolete
Sufficiency rating: 43.5 (out of 100) - Average daily traffic (as of 2007)
- 6,200
Update Log
- June 13, 2009: Updated by Ian Anderson: changed from 'continuous' to 'cantilevered'
- June 12, 2009: New photos from James Baughn
- June 1, 2008: New photos from David B. Haun
Sources
- David B. Haun - dbhaun [at] gmail [dot] com
- James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
- Ian Anderson - macsignals [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
I travel this bridge about every week, but not going across the river but under it.
The lighting is very poor & does NOT meet the CFR permit that goes with it. The lights are not always lit as suppose to be. The bridge is hit every year when high water in the spring season in part of the dim lighting that marking the bridge.
The boats that travel under the bridge have to use 2 very bright lights on board to see the peirs & blind the cars & trucks going over that bridge, that could make for a very bad problem for people travling the bridge.
I crossed this bridge on 9/30/07 in my big truck with a load of steel gross weight 78,000 lbs. If another similar weighted truck had been behind me I would have instructed the driver to stay at least one span behind.
I THINK THIS IS A PRETTY SAFE BRIDGE TO TRAVEL,UNLIKE THE BROOKPORT BRIDGE ON I-45.I LIKE TO CROSS ALL THE EXTREME SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BRIDGES WITH OUT ANY PROBLEMS , SOMETIMES A LITTLE NERVOUS AT NIGHT THOUGH,BUT FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE ALL SAFE TO CROSS AT ASAFE SPEED!!!
Try here for your storm info:
The reason I am visiting this site is because I had a very nerve wracking experience on this bridge Thursday, August 10, 2006. A friend and I were travelling to Kentucky taking the southern route from our home and we were crossing the bridge during a storm and were stuck in the middle of the thing during this storm because of road construction (apparently it was down to one lane on the entrance side from the east going towards Missouri.) Needless to say we were quite scared as our car was moving all over as if were about to be blown off the bridge. It was a very scary event and I will never forget it. I'm trying to get into the Cairo, IL newspaper archives to see if there was some major weather event for that day but their newspaper has no archive link.
If anyone has any info on this, please send it along.
Thanks.