LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — After more than a year of closures and lane restrictions, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced Wednesday that both projects on the Carroll Cropper Bridge are finished.
"It's done," KYTC District 6 said in a social media post. "Final striping has been applied. The two separate projects (repair and zone painting) have been completed."
Drivers first began dealing with closures on the nearly 50-year-old connector between Kentucky and Indiana in December 2024 after steel deterioration was discovered during an inspection. Crews were able to finish steel and expansion joint repairs last year, but spot painting to protect against rust meant lane restrictions continued.
"All those places that have been repaired are now exposed to the elements. They have to be painted," KYTC District 6 Chief Engineer Bob Yeager told us last year. "It's all underneath (the bridge) where the repairs are being done."
Watch: How bridge construction has caused frustration for residents, businesses
Over the course of both projects, we spoke with Lawrenceburg business owners who said that, despite project progress, they expect it will take time for customers to return to their side of the bridge due to the longevity of the restrictions.
"It needs to come to a conclusion as soon as possible," Dan McCabe, owner of Whisky City's Liberty Theater in downtown Lawrenceburg, told us last December.
KYTC said in its post that the work was done now to ensure the bridge would be open during the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project, which is set to begin this summer and take until approximately 2031 to complete.
Officials noted that a final inspection may result in some corrective work. However, they stated any work "will be performed overnight to minimize any traffic delays."
