New KY 80 Bowles Creek Bridge in Hickman County Opens Ahead of Schedule
PADUCAH, KY — A bridge in far western Kentucky is back open to traffic after being closed for nine months. The KY 80 Bowles Creek Bridge near the Hickman-Carlisle county line just northeast of Columbus reopened on November 19, about a week ahead of schedule.
The Bowles Creek Bridge was built in 1946 and had been closed since Feb. 7, when a routine inspection found deterioration of the bridge substructure. During the safety check, inspectors noted that loaded semi-trucks were continuing to cross the bridge in violation of a previously posted 3-ton load limit.
Approximately 350 vehicles travel this section of KY 80 in an average day.
When the bridge closed in February, KYTC engineers expedited efforts to design a new bridge structure for the site through the Bridging Kentucky program.
In addition to the Bowles Creek Bridge, two other crossings in Hickman County – on Baltimore Church Road and KY 2206 – have been replaced through Bridging Kentucky.
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