Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Old Ben is the green bridge in this photo | |
| Coordinates | 38°29′03″N 082°38′28″W / 38.48417°N 82.64111°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of southbound SR 652 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (12th Street) |
| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Locale | Coal Grove, Ohio and Ashland, Kentucky |
| Other name(s) | Green Bridge, Old Ben, 12th Street Bridge |
| Maintained by | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever bridge |
| Longest span | 738 feet (225 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1932 |
| Location | |
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The Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge, known locally as the Old Ben, is a cantilever bridge that connects Coal Grove, Ohio to Ashland, Kentucky, crossing the Ohio River. Completed in 1932, it is named for Senator Ben M. Williamson. The bridge was formerly a two-way span before the parallel Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge was completed upstream in 1985. Since 1985, the Williamson bridge is used for southbound (Kentucky-bound) traffic.
Since the completion of the Willis bridge, the Williamson Bridge has been closed and traffic in both directions has been diverted to the Willis bridge four times. In 1989 and 2018, the Williamson bridge was closed for renovations[1] and for painting in 2007. The Williamson bridge was also closed and traffic again diverted to the Willis Bridge for several months in 2013 after a tractor-trailer ran into the tower on the Ohio side, causing structural damage to the bridge.[2]
The shorter Ohio portion of the bridge officially carries part of Ohio State Route 652 but is not signed as such.[3]
