Divers to examiner Kentucky bridge after ship's impact

Member Center:

Divers to examiner Kentucky bridge after ship's impact

Posted: Updated:

Divers to examiner Kentucky bridge after ship's impactMore>>
KY bridge struck by cargo ship has history of problems
Updated: Friday, January 27 2012 9:56 PM EST2012-01-28 02:56:56 GMT
The Channel 4 I-Team is piecing together information about a history of problems at a southern Kentucky bridge that was struck by a cargo ship.More >>

BENTON, Ky. (AP) -

Divers will examine three piers Tuesday along a damaged Kentucky bridge to see how they held up to the impact of a giant cargo ship last week.

SLIDESHOW | AERIAL VIDEO | NEWS CONFERENCE

Crews want to know if there is any damage below the water line and if one of the piers is moving after a 300-foot section of the Eggner Ferry Bridge was damaged in southwest Kentucky.

The inspection will help officials make important decisions about the repair process.

According to Keith Todd, spokesman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, a crane will be used to help remove the part of the Eggner Ferry Bridge that is still wrapped around the Grand Mariner ship.

The vessel was headed from Decatur, AL, to Cape Canaveral, FL, and was carrying rocket parts for an Air Force mission scheduled for April. Officials said none of the parts were damaged.

Todd said on Saturday, state engineers went on board the ship to look at the best strategy for the removal.

On Monday, divers placed sensors on the underwater sections of the bridge to help determine the extent of the damage.

Todd said a LBL ranger noticed Saturday that there was some bending of the bridge structure, and there was a concern that the structure had shifted.

Todd said the sensors should provide some information within a few weeks. Todd added that state officials had not yet decided whether to replace the bridge entirely immediately, however plans to do so had already been in the works.

Another question is how will tourists cross the Tennessee River into the Land Between The Lakes recreational area. A temporary ferry will not work because the lake is too wide to make a ferry feasible, said Todd.

Sightseers Face Citations

Law enforcement say sightseers will be issued a citation if they try to get on the damaged bridge.

Marshall County, KY, Sheriff Kevin Byars said Sunday that people were walking around barricades and onto the bridge.

Byars said crowds of people have been blatantly ignoring the barricades on U.S. 68 and walking out onto the bridge, according to The Paducah Sun. Byars called the situation "a huge safety concern" and said people caught on the bridge will be cited and fined and possible jailed.

Water Traffic Resumes

The Coast Guard said that commercial river traffic has been allowed to resume, but recreational traffic in that area around the damaged portion of the bridge remained prohibited.

Todd said the Delta Mariner struck the main span of the Eggner Ferry Bridge on Thursday evening at U.S. Highway 68 and Kentucky Highway 80. The ship was carrying aviation parts when it hit the bridge. No one was injured in the collision or subsequent collapse.

According to the Coast Guard, the incident was reported just after 8 p.m. The span that was hit is 322 feet long.

Robert Parker, 51, of Cadiz, Ky., said he was driving over the bridge when he noticed a 20-foot section of the bridge missing. He says no cars went into the water.

The captain of the boat said no vehicles were on the bridge at the time, and none of the crew members were hurt.

Some of the navigational lights on the bridge weren't working and were scheduled for repairs Friday. The ship regularly travels this route.

The bridge, which was opened in 1932, carries approximately 2,800 vehicles across Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River on an average day, officials said.