New Ohio River Bridge US 51/60/62 IL/KY

[rte66man]

It will be a sad day when those two old bridges at Cairo come down.
Nonetheless, with the threat of the fault looming, I can see the benefits of replacing them.

Not sad at all to see this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.9751575,-89.1464612,3a,75y,340.86h,93.01t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1suG06dQKamq-cFd18pn-C_A!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DuG06dQKamq-cFd18pn-C_A%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D254.77614%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

and this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.9904662,-89.1494527,3a,75y,39.14h,97.05t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sLwb2BqYL8XW9ecW_5enrYw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DLwb2BqYL8XW9ecW_5enrYw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D310.84073%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

go away. Now that the Land Between The Lakes bridges have been replaced, these are the ones I've been across that scare me the most, especially due to the heavy truck traffic.

[ThatRandomOshawott]

It will be a sad day when those two old bridges at Cairo come down.
Nonetheless, with the threat of the fault looming, I can see the benefits of replacing them.

Not sad at all to see this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.9751575,-89.1464612,3a,75y,340.86h,93.01t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1suG06dQKamq-cFd18pn-C_A!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DuG06dQKamq-cFd18pn-C_A%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D254.77614%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

and this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.9904662,-89.1494527,3a,75y,39.14h,97.05t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sLwb2BqYL8XW9ecW_5enrYw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DLwb2BqYL8XW9ecW_5enrYw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D310.84073%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

go away. Now that the Land Between The Lakes bridges have been replaced, these are the ones I've been across that scare me the most, especially due to the heavy truck traffic.

Oh, those Land Between the Lakes bridges were very bad for truck traffic. They didn't age well much at all. Near the end of the old Eggner's Ferry Bridge's life, there was literally a small metal plate on the bridge deck, likely filling in a divot in the deck.

This was back before my time, but before the Ned McWherter Bridge on US 79 in Paris Landing, TN was built in 1992, there was the Scott Fitzhugh Bridge, which wasn't unlike the old LBL bridges. I once heard about how a truck ended up losing a bit of its load in Kentucky Lake thanks to how bad the bridge was. https://bridgehunter.com/tn/henry/paris-landing/

[ChiMilNet]

Also, it should be known that the combination of these bridges really is the most direct route between Missouri and Kentucky. Otherwise, you need to detour to I-57/I-24 or I-155/US-412 through TN. Both are significant detours, and if one of these bridges were to fail or become unsafe for driving, this could really have some negative impacts on the transport of goods via this route. Regardless of how historical there are, they truly do not meet today's needs.

[edwaleni]

Also, it should be known that the combination of these bridges really is the most direct route between Missouri and Kentucky. Otherwise, you need to detour to I-57/I-24 or I-155/US-412 through TN. Both are significant detours, and if one of these bridges were to fail or become unsafe for driving, this could really have some negative impacts on the transport of goods via this route. Regardless of how historical there are, they truly do not meet today's needs.

A direct Kentucky-Missouri Bridge makes a ton of sense, but in the public hearings, the locals wanted to maintain the connectivity between Wycliffe and Cairo.

With Illinois now pouring millions into the new Cairo Intermodal facility for barge-rail-truck transfer, truck traffic is expected to rise around 2024. (That is if Illinois doesn't go bankrupt before then)

[hbelkins]

Also, it should be known that the combination of these bridges really is the most direct route between Missouri and Kentucky. Otherwise, you need to detour to I-57/I-24 or I-155/US-412 through TN. Both are significant detours, and if one of these bridges were to fail or become unsafe for driving, this could really have some negative impacts on the transport of goods via this route. Regardless of how historical there are, they truly do not meet today's needs.

High water causes closures of the route between Wickliffe and the bridge on occasion. That necessitates a lengthy detour, and also eliminates the possibility of using the Hickman-Dorena Ferry as an alternate route.

The only chance of getting a direct KY-MO bridge is if I-66 is ever built, which looks highly doubtful.

[Avalanchez71]

I still think the best option would be a bridge directly into Missouri from Kentucky.

A bridge across the Mississippi is very expensive.  There is already a ferry from KY to MO.  The I-155 bridge in TN isn't that far from KY.