OWENSBORO, Ky. (October 21, 2025) – The Blue Bridge in Owensboro is expected to remain closed until January as repairs continue.
The contractor repairing the Glover Cary Bridge – also called the Blue Bridge – in Owensboro has notified the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that it will be January 16 before enough work is complete to safely reopen the structure to traffic, according to a news release.
Construction is progressing on the needed rehabilitation project as crews work extended hours to replace a 750-foot-long span of concrete-filled steel bridge decking and make other repairs, including replacement of a large section of decking on the Indiana approach to the bridge.
While the bridge was set to reopen earlier this month, steel fabrication and the timely ordering of materials from the contractor led to the adjusted schedule. The Transportation Cabinet worked with the contractor to ensure all materials have been ordered, delivered or sourced, and the contractor has now set a new Jan. 16 bridge reopening date. As planned, additional work will continue once the bridge reopens to traffic.
The extended closure will ensure crews can complete long-term concrete maintenance and steel joint repairs that will help preserve the bridge’s structural integrity and keep it safe to maintain the vital traffic service it provides across the Ohio River between northwest Kentucky and southern Indiana for many years to come.
Transportation Cabinet engineers will continue working closely with the contractor to explore potential solutions that could accelerate progress and bring the bridge back into service as soon as possible. The cabinet will provide updates as work progresses and new schedule information becomes available.
The nearly $18 million repair project, which began in mid-July, is a critical investment in the bridge’s future. Crews with American Contracting & Services are replacing a span of steel grid bridge decking and repairing a second span of the same length. Because the decking spans the full width of the bridge, lane-by-lane repairs are not possible, requiring full closure of the bridge during construction. Additional deck work is also underway on the Indiana approach.
Liquidated Damages of $15,000 per day (including weekends) are being applied for failure to reopen the bridge by the contractually agreed upon October 1st deadline, and will continue until the bridge is reopened to traffic. Failure to complete the project by the November 15th completion date will start an additional $4,000 per day in liquidated damages until the project is fully completed.
Around 7,200 vehicles cross the Glover Carey Bridge daily. The structure opened to traffic in 1940.
Traffic needing to cross the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana during the closure should continue to detour using the nearby U.S. 231 William H. Natcher Bridge.
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