Eggners Ferry Bridge collapses!!! (Frankfort, Cadiz: insurance, construction, closing)

[kentuckydad95]

West Kentucky Star - News (http://westkentuckystar.com/News/Local---Regional/Western-Kentucky/Section-of-the-Eggner-s-Ferry-Bridge-Has-Collapsed - broken link)

Thank God no one was hurt. This is a blessing in a way. Maybe the morons in Frankfort will now have to cough up the bucks to begin the new bridge ASAP.

[kygman]

Channel 6 this morning showed a live shot once the sun was up. The entire arch of the bridge is collapsed on the boat. I agree with what a lady said on there while ago. This was an accident. The Ledbetter bridge (nothing over 3 tons can cross) is neglect. That boat has made several trips under the bridge but probably hadn't considered the water level was up from all the rain

[kentuckydad95]

I do believe the Commonwealth of Kentucky will be screwed on this one. WPSD reported that the ship stated that the navigation lights on the bridge were partially off. The twist is that the KY Transportation Cabinet stated earlier in the week that they would be closing down one lane of the bridge to do electrical repairs.

If it's true that the lights were not working, the state may not see a dime of insurance money from the shipping company. I see this getting tangled up in court for the next 10 years or so.

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/10/26/57/2190331/3/628x471.jpg (broken link)

[Knightime]

That will likely depend on whether KyDoT had reported the outage to USCG and maritime authorities as required. If they did and the shipping company or ship's captain failed to aquire the updated information the state would likely not be liable. It may also depend on how recently the lights had failed and the report was made.

This reminds me of an incident some years ago where an aircraft struck an unlit broadcast tower collapsing it entirely. Since both the FCC and FAA had been notified of the malfunction, the tower owner was not held liable for the crash or damages. The tower was clearly marked on aeronautical maps as was the bridge on maritime maps in this case. In the case of the tower, the pilot should have known to avoid the area at lower altitudes. I would suspect this incident would be similar and the ship's officers should have been aware of the current river level and clearance requirements of the bridge channel regardless of the status of the bridge's lighting at the time. So the state may not be held responsible after all, but that could depend on other factors that may or may not be publicly available.

[tomocox]

I know that photos don't do a good job with angles etc, but from all the angles I have seen, it appears that had the boat been in the middle of the tallest span, it would have still hit the bottom of the bridge. So, who's responsible for knowing the water level plus the ships height equals less than the clearance required?

[CraigCreek]

I did hear a report that the authorities had notified shipping about the electrical problems prior to the incident, but don't have the details. If this is indeed the case, the ship would have been at fault.

[GunnerTHB]

I heard something about the ship not being in the commercial part of the lake to cross under the bridge, but I agree it looks like it would have hit the bridge no matter which span it would have attempted to cross under.

[kygman]

Gunner, there are pictures of this same boat going under the bridge at other times, but under the highest span

[kygman]

Here's pictures from WKDZ, the Cadiz radio station.

Eggners Ferry Bridge - WKDZ

[kentuckydad95]

Notice all the phony politicians there to get their photo-op. The same people that stall money for infrastructure upgrades.

I told my friend yesterday, that if they go ahead and start building the new bridge and forget the damaged bridge, I won't be seeing Cadiz or LBL for about 5-6 years. I could take I-24 to Grand Rivers to the north entrance of LBL, but I don't see me driving that far out of my way. If we have to go to Nashville, I will probably take I-24 or 641 down to US Hwy 70 in TN.

In a way, I don't see the need to repair a bridge that will be demolished in 5 years. It's also been reported that the concrete piers on the east side of the bridge are unstable. Not good news. Set up a ferry service if need be. Begin construction on the new bridge and work 24 hours/day on it. The good news is that there will be fewer people at Belews this year! Quicker service for me!!! LOL

The new bridge: