MAYSVILLE, Ky. — The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge will close next week and it won't re-open again for a year, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
KYTC said the bridge will close on Monday, June 1; it was previously scheduled to close earlier in May.
According to KYTC, the closure of the bridge in downtown Maysville is necessary to perform needed upgrades.
After June 1, KYTC says the bridge will be fully closed 24/7 until the summer of 2027. There will be no thru traffic allowed, including pedestrians, KYTC said.
The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge spans the Ohio River between Maysville in Kentucky and Aberdeen in Ohio.
With the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge closed, drivers will have to detour three miles west to the William H. Harsha Bridge, which carries US-68. Drivers can also use US-52 and KY-8 as possible detours, KYTC said.
The roughly 15-month closure allows crews to work on the $22.6 million project to upgrade the 1930s-era bridge.
Crews will need to replace all 136 suspender cables on the bridge, which has to be done without any additional weight on the bridge, KYTC said. In addition, crews will work on concrete patching repairs, overlaying short sections of the bridge that pass over the anchorage houses, replacing the hand rope along the top of the bridge and other necessary repairs.
