Bridges on Land Between The Lakes

When you travel to the Land Between the Lakes area you will encounter two bridges.  One Bridge goes over Kentucky Lake (Eggner Ferry Bridge), and the other goes over Lake Barkley (Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge).  Highways 68-80 is what you travel on to get from Aurora (Kentucky Lake) to Canton (Lake Barkley).  

EGGNER’S FERRY BRIDGE is located on the Kentucky Lake side.  

The original Eggner’s Ferry bridge was built in 1932, and it was two lanes.  From what I understand it was originally build for the Tennessee River, but later in 1943 they had to make the bridge HIGHER to form Kentucky Lake itself.  Kentucky Dam feeds this lake, and from we were told Kentucky Lake is deeper than Lake Barkley.

Both bridges were built before the lakes were impounded.  They do show their age!  As of today (4/17) the Kentucky Lake side has been rebuilt, and is a much less scary experience going over.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans were to begin work to widen 68-80 through the park to four lanes beginning in 2004; however, these plans have met with opposition from groups that the road would damage the environment and bring development to LBL (Land Between The Lakes).

The construction was slowed down until a ship hit Eggner Ferry side, and it seems to have brought the construction date forward!  You don’t feel like you are going fall through the bridge into the Lake any longer on the Eggner Ferry Side!

The above is a video on the history of the bridge, and it shows a time lapse video on the new one being built.  

When Eggner Ferry Bridge was complete enough to travel on they did a little demolition.   Yes, they BLEW it UP!  When the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge time comes?  You know I will make the trip, and watch that bridge get BLOWN to pieces!!

CREDIT KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET

In the above photo you will see the older Eggner Ferry Bridge on the left hand side, and see the comparison during construction for the newer one.  HUGE difference…HUGE!!

Construction on Henry R. Lawrence 6/16

The above video is the Eggner Ferry Bridge demolition.  It's rather cool to watch if you are into that kind of thing...which I am!!

They are currently working on the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge (built 1932) on the other side to look just like its counterpart.  That goes over Lake Barkley right into Canton, and it is STILL scary!  

One trip we brought a U-Haul with some items we were going to store in our barn.  My Husband's twin brother was driving it down, and a Semi was coming from the other direction at the same time.  Mike had to get UP on the crumbling cement curb in order to pass without getting hit.

Just to give you an idea of the drive?  I found a video on youtube of a couple going over the bridge in an RV.

Keep in mind RV's can be loud when driving, and hit bumps in the road.  It's the nature of the beast.  Yet, if you look at the road you can see the gaps in the cement in which you can literally see the water.  Towards the end the video you can hear the wife talk about how close he had to get to the side of the bridge so you don't NAIL oncoming traffic!

All I can say is this is a HUGE difference compared to when we first started coming down to visit Cadiz Kentucky.  The four lanes are needed, and those bridges?  The needed an overhaul before I was born I would bet!  

Eggner Ferry Bridge During Construction.

I think one of the funniest things I have seen during construction of the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge was fishing boats PUSHING the barges into place to start construction for the day.  Yes, I'm talking about bass boats.  You would think they would use a small tug boat or something, but they didn't.