Contract reached to fund ferry linking Kentucky, Illinois

MARION, Ky. (AP) - A new contract has been reached to continue service by the Cave-in-Rock Ferry, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said.

The ferry connects Kentucky 91 in Crittenden County with Illinois 1 in Hardin County, Illinois, carrying some 500 vehicles daily over the Ohio River. Its regular operation schedule runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, the cabinet said.

The $3.3 million contract lasts until June 30, 2024. The ferry is funded jointly by the cabinet and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Marion offers the closest full-service grocery for many residents of Hardin County, the cabinet said. The ferry serves as a tourist attraction, and it also links hiking and outdoor activities in southern Illinois' Shawnee National Forest with the Amish community of Crittenden County, the cabinet said.