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Lincoln Trail Bridge

Coordinates: 37°54′12.26″N 86°44′37.71″W / 37.9034056°N 86.7438083°W / 37.9034056; -86.7438083
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bob Cummings Lincoln Trail Bridge
Coordinates37°54′12″N 86°44′38″W / 37.9034°N 86.7438°W / 37.9034; -86.7438
Carries2 lanes of SR 237 / KY 69
CrossesOhio River
LocaleCannelton, Indiana and
Hawesville, Kentucky
Official nameBob Cummings Lincoln Trail Bridge
Maintained byIndiana Department of Transportation
Characteristics
DesignThrough arch bridge with suspended deck
Total length2,708.3 feet (825.5 m)
Width27.8 feet (8.5 m)
Longest span824.6 feet (251.3 m)
History
Opened1966
Location
Map

The Bob Cummings Lincoln Trail Bridge crosses the Ohio River and connects the towns of Cannelton, Indiana and Hawesville, Kentucky. Indiana State Road 237 becomes Kentucky Route 69 upon entering Hawesville.

Construction began in June 1964 and the bridge opened on December 21, 1966. The steel arch bridge with its suspended deck was a toll facility until the state of Indiana lifted the tolls in the 1990s.

Bob Cummings, for whom the bridge was named on November 17, 1974, was the editor of the Cannelton News and a booster of Cannelton in general until his death on July 25, 1971.

New connections

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To the north, the bridge connects to a rerouted five-mile stretch of Indiana 237, which now by-passes Cannelton and dramatically cuts the time of travel to Indiana 37, which is the primary link to Interstate 64 for both Perry County as well as Hancock County, Kentucky.

In Hawesville, Kentucky 69 takes a sharp westward turn into the downtown area before reaching a traffic signal at the junction of Kentucky 3101. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is studying a direct route for Kentucky 69 that would eliminate the sharp turns and steep hill leading from the downtown area to U.S. Highway 60, which connects Hawesville to the city of Owensboro and, to the east, the Fort Knox area.

Further reading

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37°54′12.26″N 86°44′37.71″W / 37.9034056°N 86.7438083°W / 37.9034056; -86.7438083