Overnight lane restrictions for southbound traffic on the U.S. 41 Twin Bridges is expected to start Monday, March 17, 2008, weather permitting.  Southbound traffic will be restricted to one 12-foot lane from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., seven days a week.  Overnight lane restrictions for southbound traffic will remain in place until 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The lane restrictions are to allow a contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to place rigging to prepare for continuation of a major painting and rehab project on the U.S. 41 Twin Bridges over the Ohio River between Henderson, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana, for the 2008 construction season.

Starting sometime after March 24, 2008, the northbound bridge will be converted to three 10-foot lanes.  The northbound bridge will have two 10-foot lanes for northbound traffic and one 10-foot lane of southbound traffic.   One 10-foot lane will remain open on the southbound bridge to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction for the remainder of the project.  Both bridges will be subject to a strict 35 mile per hour speed limit with no lane changes allowed in the work zone with double fines for the remainder of the project. 

Truckers should take note that no oversized loads will be allowed on the bridges northbound or southbound after March 24, 2008.

Tow trucks will be stationed at each end of the bridges during peak travel times to quickly clear traffic crashes to help maintain traffic flow on the busy Ohio River crossing.  Police agencies will also be stationed in the work zone to provide strict enforcement of the 35 mph work zone speed limit.  Double fines will apply to all citations in the work zone.  The strictly enforced 35 mph speed limit with no lane changes is in place for the safety of the public, the safety of workers, and to help avoid traffic crashes that might interrupt traffic flow.  These severe restrictions will be in place until the end of the project.

The U.S. 41 Twin Bridges, also known as the Bi-State Gold Star Vietnam War Memorial Bridges, carry approximately 39,000 vehicles a day across the Ohio River.  The northbound bridge was opened to traffic in 1932.   The southbound bridge was opened to traffic in 1965.

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