Brookport Bridge

The thought that entered my brain when I saw this bridge was wow. What a spectacular bridge.

I absolutly love this bridge! I live in Chicago area, but spent plenty of summers in Brookport. I could hear the sound of the tires all day and night. I think it is the coolest bridge around.

Brookport Bridge reopens for traffic again.

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Brookport-Bridge-reopens-121575389.html

Brookport is currently closed, due to flooding on the KY side.

http://www.westkentuckystar.com/News/Local---Regional/Southern-Illinois/Brookport-Bridge-Closed-by-Floodwaters

I was born & raised in Brookport. Crossing the bridge was just part of (almost)my daily activities. Of course it was usually walking, since I had no car, and I never rode a bicycle over it. In those days, the bridge was silver, and paved. It was really tight at times when you would have two very large vehicles coming from opposite directions. I have, on many occasions, climbed to the outside of the bridge to let to semis pass. The curve coming into the Brookport side was probably one of the greatest hazzards for unsuspecting drivers. I usually would hitchhike, but if no one picked me up, I walked. We used to crawl to the underside at night to catch pigeons. Looking back, that wasn't the brightest thing I ever did. I suppose that the Irvin S. Cobb (Brookport) Bridge will always be an important part of my memories of Brookport. I moved away in 1953, went into the Airforce, ended up in Chicago & have lived in this area now since 1961, but my mind still travels South very often. The old saying "you can take the boy out of the country, but.............."

We went out of our way to drive this bridge on our motorcycles due to its unique deck. It's not a problem if you are even halfway experienced with your bike.

Great bridge, great fun!

Me and my dad got under this bridge today and I took some really cool pictures.

My wife and I took this bridge (not knowing anything about it) from Paducah, KY into Illinois while riding our Harley. A few days prior, we had crossed (3) bridges of the same width in KY on our way to Paducah. I thought those bridges were bad...they had nothing on THIS bridge! White-knuckle all the way across. I pray on a daily basis, but I've never prayed so much in my life while crossing this bridge! I've been riding 20-plus years, and this bridge scared me to death! I don't say "never" very often, but I'll NEVER ride this bridge again!

I went out of my way just to ride over this bridge yesterday while on my way back to Chicago.. It was pretty cool! But it was so skinny that I didn't dare take my eyes off of the road (bridge) in front of me. I wanted to look out and around at the river and bluffs, but I was afraid that I'd hit the guard rail. It's a great bridge and I'll definitely take another ride over it when I get down that way again. It hums, bangs and clicks all the way across, but still an awesome bridge!

This was bridge was actually in a movie called US Marshals.

Here's a video of someone driving across:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_thhcuwEyY

Madison

I've been on this bridge several times, and I'm not scared of it. Although, I love to spread the rumor to my friends that you'll easily die going over this thing.

My sister is currently learning to drive and we drove very close to the bridge.

I started shaking.

Not because I was afraid, just because her experience level wasn't quite there yet. She would have got us killed.

Madison.

Having been over this guy on a bike (not a motorbike) twice, once with a full load, I can dispell a couple of these.

* Coke cans do not fall through the grating (unless you manage to drop it in one of several holes in the decking). What they do is flatten across the grating and become very slippery in the slightest of moisture. My 2" tire was wide enough to bridge those gaps.

* There is no directional pattern to the decking, so it couldn't possibly be on backwards. The noise you hear in your car is a result of the raised nubs on the surface. They're there for traction.

* This bridge sways less than a lot of shorter bridges. You have two options for a bridge: it can sway or crumble.

I saw tractor-trailer on the bridge. I think the truck driver took that route (highway 45) by mistake. There is no room for the truck to turn around because road is narrow and tight. The truck driver had no choice but moving. If the truck stopped, there would be a lot of problems because of heavy traffic. I saw the tractor -trailer went through on the bridge.

This bridge was horrifying on a motorcycle. I unwittingly rode north over this bridge last week in the middle of a 1600 mile road trip to the Tail of the Dragon in NC. That road was NOTHING compared to the awful nightmare near death ride that this miserable bridge provided.

This bridge was horrifying on a motorcycle. I unwittingly rode north over this bridge last week in the middle of a 1600 mile road trip to the Tail of the Dragon in NC. That road was NOTHING compared to the awful nightmare near death ride that this miserable bridge provided.

Like Troy said, the key is 45-50 mph and it is just another bridge that makes noise. If you know how to drive, you will be fine.

Ugh I have lived in Metropolis my entire life and I absolutely HATE this bridge. Its way too narrow, the sound is nerve racking, and people drive across it way too fast.

I flat out refuse to drive across it. I dont even like being a passenger.

As many times as that thing has been hit by barges, it tends to sway a bit in the wind. If you have a choice, take the I-24 bridge. You'll be much more comfortable with your heart not up in your throat!

MY Dad pulled a New Moon house trailer 8'x48', across the Irvin Cobb (Brookport) Bridge from up state Il. to Paducah In 1961.This was before the metal deck and before they widened it. He had 6 kids in the car and all our belongings in the trailer. It's a great bridge. I am an experienced biker and have no problems crossing the bridge on a bike...

Riding across this bridge on a motorcycle isn't a problem if you're experienced.

We crossed this bridge 06-16-08. The sign saying "attention motorcyclist" was not enough warning for anyone on a motorcycle. We never prayed so hard in our lives that we would make it over the bridge without either running head-on into oncoming traffic,dump the bike and get run over by a car behind us or hit the rail and get knocked down!!! This is the worse bridge we have ever seen for a motorcycle to have to cross. You need to post a warning sign that says no motorcycles should cross this bridge. Your sign does nothing to prepare a cycle driver for what he is going to have to do to keep his bike upright!! We wonder how many accidents with bikes have happened on this bridge.

My wife and I crossed this bridge by motorcycle. The warning sign was missing. Only the attn. motorcyclist was visible. My wife asked what I thought that it mean't and I said it probably means beware of high winds. However the sign at entrance of the bridge said, Steel Top bridge. Too late to stop, here we go. I didn't breathe the whole way over. I DO NOT RECOMMEND RIDING OVER THIS! It's a good story to tell though.

We love our old blue bridge. It is an adventure in faith every time you cross it. It's a standing joke that when the driver education people take students across, and only hit the side rails once, you've passed your drivers test. Twice, and you fail!

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A CURVE BRIDGE TO YOU!:@

This is an awesome bridge and has a spectacular view! However, that being said, we just crossed it on 10/20/07 on motorcycles! Never again! How can you go 45-50 MPH when the speed limit is 25! We are seasoned riders, but felt like we had no control! Is there a t-shirt that says, "We crossed the Blue Hummer and survived!"? ;-)

Many locals refer to the Brookport bridge as the "Blue Hummer" because of the humming sound tires make as they roll acroos the open decking.

Some one informed me that the decking was laid in the wrong direction and this is the reason for the sound.

I'd rather cross this bridge than the I-24 bridge. Seems like there is a pile-up every week on the I-24 bridge. Just yesterday, an 8 car crash closed the "modern" bridge. In addition, the 24 bridge was closed for a year around 1980 to repair cracks in the concrete, and then had another major overhaul in the early 1990's.

Oh yeah, the blue bar bridge took another big hit from a barge!!!! Look out boys, she's coming down!!! hahahaha

joking... just joking.

I grew up in Massac County and have crossed this bridge too many times to count. I've never been concerned about it. For those who have never driven across a steel bridge deck it could be alarming but once you drive it once or twice it isn't a big deal. For those of you who get nervous on this bridge try not to think about the fact that you can manage to push an aluminium can through the gaps in the deck! Seriously though this bridge has had far fewer problems than the bridge over the Ohio on Interstate 24.

I was raised most of my life and still have family living in Brookport. I have crossed the bridge so many times that if I had a nickel for each time (either direction), I would be a very rich man. The key to crossing this bridge is to drive around 45-50 MPH while on the deck (of course, you'll need to slow down northbound as there is a fairly tight curve as you exit the bridge into Brookport). If you drive any slower, the metal decking will tend to grab your tires and make you wobble side to side. Likewise, if you have winter tires or tires with a large tread, the same result may happen. Hey...Stay calm...those of you who freak out on this thing are the ones who give us a reason to paint it every so often (SCREEEEEEEEEEEE...that's the sound of your car swapping paint with the bridge). The only thing I don't recommend is crossing the bridge on foot or bike; you gotta keep your eyes open for the other fool.

I just crossed this bridge southbound on Thursday, April 13th, and I have to agree with the first poster, although I will say that with all the construction vehcles on the eastern half, it feels as if you have a whole lot less deck to work with. I very definitely had a harder time controlling the car on the metal deck. There was another bridge a lot like this one in Boonville, MO at one time. I didn't like driving over it, either.

man you scare easy, I go to high school near the bridge and my job is across the bridge I cross it daily, its a little annoying right now though because of them repainting but it is a great bridge, YOU and about 50% of my high school a scared to cross it, I have lived by that bridge ALL MY LIFE! I have been across in pick-up trucks, cars, motorcycles, and semis (MY DAD DRIVES SEMIS) the bridge is very well designed. It got hit by a barge in around 2000, IT WAS LOUD, but the bridge took it, Didn’t even half to close it. They recently upgraded it. with solar powered cameras and a fiber optic cable that crosses it.

I crossed this bridge in 1952 while my mother was in labor on her way from Metropolis Illinois to Riverside Hospital in Paducah. This bridge is (or at least was) named after journalist Irvin S. Cobb.

I drive this bridge every day to work with no problems. The only thing you have to worry about is the little speed trap town and barny fife wanna be of brookport.

It is one of the best constructed bridges I have ever seen. It is braced and cross braced repeatedly. I would much prefer to be on it than on the I 24 bridge when the New Madrid earthquake zone finally goes off. I have been across it many many hundreds of times and I love it.

It is one of the best constructed bridges I have ever seen. It is braced and cross braced repeatedly. I would much prefer to be on it than on the I 24 bridge when the New Madrid earthquake zone finally goes off. I have been across it many many hundreds of times and I love it.

I drove across this bridge several times and I still get extemely nervous, the metal roadway makes it feel like you are losing control of your vehicle, my stepdad used to drive grain trucks on the bridge prior to I-24 bridge being built and he stated that it was the worst bridge he has ever drove across.

My advice:

TAKE THE I-24 BRIDGE UNLESS YOU ARE BRAVE