Barge strike closes bridge between Ky., Ill.

WICKLIFFE, Ky. -- A bridge linking Kentucky and Illinois is closed to traffic after a barge struck a bridge pier.

U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Brad Hannon says the harbor tug Mary Harter was towing a single barge that hit the pier of the bridge between Wickliffe, Ky., and Cairo, Ill. Hannon says the incident happened Tuesday morning about 5 a.m. CDT.

Kentucky highway department spokesman Keith Todd says a certified inspector will check to see if the span was damaged.

Todd says the structure carries an average of 4,500 vehicles daily across the Ohio River.