Irwin S. Cobb (Brookport) Bridge, Brookport, IL - Paducah, KY

The Paducah-Ohio River Bridge (officially, the Irvin S. Cobb Bridge), on U.S. Highway 45, crossing at Mile Marker 937 of the Ohio River between Brookport, IL and Paducah, KY. Built in 1929 by the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company of Milwaukee, WI and the Union Bridge and Construction Company of Kansas City, MO.

This spetacular bridge is 5,387 feet long, and consists of 10 steel truss spans (one Parker through truss 718 feet long, 9 subdivided polygonal Warren "camelback" through trusses, 3 Warren through pony trusses and 4 Warren deck trusses). All the trusses are riveted.

The road deck consists of see-through iron grating, suspended approximately 80 to 90 feet above the river. At its last inspection (2018), the Irwin S. Cobb Bridge rated "fair" by the Bridge Maintenance Division of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The 92-year old bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and is still in use, but because the two-lane width is only 19.7 feet, 18-wheelers and farm machinery are prohibited from using it. Maximum vehicle speed is 25 M.P.H and at that speed, it takes about 2 minutes to cross from one shore to the other.

Your author was invited on a personal visual inspection in the spring of 2023 with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers and inspectors.  While the bridge was closed to traffic, I accompanied those inspectors with video on the bridge, through the bridge, on top of the bridge and under the bridge, looking for tell-tale signs of wear and tear, 90 feet above a flooded Ohio River.  That video story will be posted in the STORIES link of this website.