Story by Lindsey Coleman, News Editor
Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Faculty, staff and students heading east of Murray through Land Between the Lakes will notice a few changes along their route.
The new U.S. 68/KY 80 Lake Barkley Bridge opened on Monday, Feb. 12 to two lanes of traffic as part of the Lake Bridges project.
The first phase of the bridge project, the new U.S. 68/KY 80 Eggners Ferry Bridge over Kentucky Lake at Aurora, Kentucky opened to traffic in August 2016.
Since then, crews have been working to construct the next phase of the project, the new Lake Barkley Bridge.
The bridge is a popular thoroughfare for students like Ethan Chester, senior from Trenton, Kentucky.
“Since I travel the bridges that are over Kentucky and Barkley Lakes two to three times per week, I feel that it is going to make my commute to and from Murray a much safer one,” Chester said.
On Monday, two-way traffic was moved to what will eventually become the eastbound lanes of the new bridge.
Crews will continue to construct a multi-use path, painting on the main arch steel and other work through the end of the year when the project is expected to be completed.
Director of Alumni Relations, Carrie McGinnis said she crosses the bridge twice a day and is most excited about the functionality for recreation.
“Now that both the Barkley Bridge and the Kentucky Bridge will have bike and walking paths, I can safely ride from my house in the Canton area of Trigg County, all the way through Land Between the Lakes and over to Aurora, or even to Murray,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis said her maiden voyage will be to Belew’s Dairy Bar when the weather gets warmer.
The bridge, which serves as the eastern entrance to Land Between the Lakes, originally opened to traffic in 1932 as a toll bridge, according to a press release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The toll was removed in August 1945.
“This will be the only spot on the planet where two basket handle arch bridges are within nine miles of each other,” according to a KYTC press release.