LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New signs on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge show reduced weight limits for trucks driving over the Ohio River.
"This is a precautionary measure and it's safe for all travelers," Morgan Woodrum, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesperson said.
Inspectors with KYTC found deteriorating steel beams on the 95-year-old bridge, showing the 2nd Street bridge's age. The fixes needed are still in the planning phase.
"A timeline for the repairs is not yet available. We still need to develop repair plans," Woodrum said. "As soon as we have more info regarding those plans, we'll share that with the public."
Meanwhile, cars, pickup trucks, vans and SUVs are unaffected by the weight changes, which are measured in tons.
Type 2 vehicles like garbage trucks now have a 25 ton limit, down from 27. Type 3 vehicles, which are slightly larger, are down to 29 tons from 34. Type 4 vehicles like semi trucks are down to 36 tons from 40 tons.
There are additional weight restrictions for vehicles with even more wheels. On average, all changes account for a 15% reduction in weight.
However, the size of trucks driving along the old bridge remains unchanged.
"Right now, there are no plans to change any of that. Of course, should something come up, we will evaluate," Woodrum reassured.
The northbound sidewalk headed toward Indiana closed on Tuesday for repairs to the steel supporting the concrete, but on this side where that truck dangled over the Ohio, the engineers said this is just fine."
While KYTC engineers plan out their repairs, the northbound side remains closed. They stand by the bridge's integrity even as it stretches toward its 100th birthday.
We asked Woodrum who would be responsible for enforcing the change. She referred us to "local law enforcement."
LMPD has not responded to our request for comment, but we will add it here once we receive one.
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