Cairo bridge to close next month for 30 days

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) - A bridge that connects Wickliffe, Kentucky, and Cairo, Illinois, will be closed for extensive maintenance next month, officials said.

The U.S. 51 Ohio River 'œCairo'ť Bridge is scheduled to close in early August and remain closed for about a month so that crews can work along a nearly 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) section of the Kentucky approach levee and perform critical work on the bridge deck, a statement from the Kentucky Cabinet for Transportation said.

Transportation engineer Kyle Poat said officials reviewed six options for completing the work and a detailed analysis of the impact to traffic, timeline and costs determined a 30-day closure of the bridge was the best option.

The span carries about 7,000 vehicles each day across the Ohio River, officials said.