Cairo Ohio River Bridge, Cantilever bridge between Wickliffe, Kentucky and Cairo, Illinois, United States.
The Cairo Ohio River Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge that carries road traffic across the Ohio River between Wickliffe, Kentucky, and Cairo, Illinois. The bridge links the two states at their southernmost connection point along this river.
The bridge was completed in 1938, replacing a ferry crossing that had served travelers at this point for many years. Its opening made road travel between Illinois and Kentucky far more reliable at this stretch of the river.
The bridge crosses the Ohio River at the point where it meets the Mississippi, giving the crossing a geographic position unlike any other on this river. Drivers heading west can sometimes spot the two rivers joining just beyond the far bank.
The bridge is open to motor vehicles and connects directly to roads on both the Kentucky and Illinois sides. Fog is common along the river, especially in cooler months, so drivers should allow extra time and caution when crossing.
This bridge holds the position of the furthest downstream crossing on the entire Ohio River, with no other bridge beyond it before the river meets the Mississippi. That makes it the last fixed link between the two riverbanks before the Ohio disappears into the larger river.
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