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Owensboro Bridge

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Bridge in Kentucky-Patronville, Indiana
Owensboro Bridge
Owensboro Bridge in winter, looking towards Spencer County, Indiana
Coordinates37°46′45″N 87°06′33″W / 37.7792°N 87.1092°W / 37.7792; -87.1092
Carries SR 161/ KY 2262
CrossesOhio River
LocaleOwensboro, Kentucky-Patronville, Indiana
Official nameOwensboro Bridge
Maintained byKentucky Transportation Cabinet
Characteristics
DesignContinuous truss bridge
MaterialSteel
Total length615 m
Longest span230 m (754ft)
History
DesignerFrank Masters
Engineering design byModjeski & Masters
Opened1940
Statistics
Daily traffic7,292
TollUntil 1954
Location

The Owensboro Bridge, also called the Blue Bridge, is a continuous truss bridge that spans the Ohio River between Owensboro, Kentucky and Spencer County, Indiana. Dedicated to the memory of the late U.S. Congressman Glover H. Cary (1885–1936) and often called the "Glover Cary Bridge," the bridge opened to traffic in September 1940. It originally was a toll bridge, but tolls were discontinued in 1954. It carried US 231 into Kentucky from Indiana from 1940 to 2002 when 231 was moved onto the newly completed Natcher Bridge. Subsequently, its designation was changed to Indiana 161 and Kentucky 2262.

Color

In anticipation of a repainting of the bridge initially scheduled for 2006 (the previous repainting was in 1987), the local city beautification group PRIDE of Owensboro-Daviess County (Public Responsibility In Designing our Environment) sponsored an August 2003 straw poll to help determine what color to paint the bridge. PRIDE gave participants a choice of "blue," "teal," "brick red," or "green" – or participants could "write in" their own preferences. Of the 8,245 participants in the poll, 44 percent preferred to keep the bridge its current blue (the bridge was originally silver until the 1970s). A majority of participants – 56% – preferred that the bridge be painted a different color, with 20 percent opting for teal, 18 percent for brick red, 12 percent for green, and 6 percent suggesting various "write-in" colors.

Subsequently, Kentucky and Indiana highway officials indicated the bridge was scheduled for its next repainting in about 2017 (which happens to be Owensboro's bicentennial) at an estimated cost of $17 million. The repainting was rescheduled to begin in the spring of 2013.

See also

Bridges of the Ohio River
Upstream
William H. Natcher Bridge
 Owensboro Bridge
 Downstream
Currently
The Twin Bridges

Future
I-69 Bridge

37°46′46″N 87°06′33″W / 37.77944°N 87.10917°W / 37.77944; -87.10917

References

  1. "Commonwealth of Kentucky" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  2. "Construction Procurement Proposal" (PDF). State of Kentucky. 22 January 2010.
  3. "Bridge Day". Daviess County, Kentucky. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  4. "William H. Natcher Bridge". 12 October 2020.
  5. Keith Lawrence, "Bridge Ballot: Blue is the Best," Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, September 5, 2003.
  6. "Gov. Beshear announces fast track for painting landmark 'Blue Bridge' in Owensboro". migration.kentucky.gov (Press release). Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
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