Brookport Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge in 2022 | |
| Coordinates | 37°06′53″N 88°37′45″W / 37.11465°N 88.62915°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of  US 45 |
| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Locale | Paducah, KY and Brookport, IL |
| Official name | Irvin S. Cobb Bridge |
| Maintained by | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Total length | 5,385.8 ft (1,641.6 m) |
| Width | 19.7 ft (6.0 m) |
| Longest span | 711.0 ft (216.7 m) |
| Load limit | 15 short tons (13,607.8 kg) |
| Clearance above | 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1929 |
| Location | |
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The Brookport Bridge (officially the Irvin S. Cobb Bridge) is a ten-span, steel deck (grate), narrow two-lane truss bridge that carries U.S. Route 45 (US 45) across the Ohio River in the U.S. states of Illinois and Kentucky. It connects Paducah, Kentucky, north to Brookport, Illinois.[2]
The bridge is named after Irvin S. Cobb, an author and journalist who was born in Paducah. The bridge was originally built by a private company and operated as a toll bridge. The state of Kentucky subsequently purchased the bridge from its builders.[citation needed]
The bridge is notoriously difficult to cross, due to its very narrow lanes and steel grate deck. It is restricted to vehicles less than 8 feet (2.4 m) in width and 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) in height, preventing most commercial vehicles from using the bridge. The nearby Interstate 24 Bridge can be used instead.[3]
