By Angela Hatton
Golden Pond, KY – Construction of two bridges over Kentucky and Barkley lakes in western Kentucky is still a year away. An official says that's also delaying economic development. The state transportation department recently opened a new four-lane highway through the Land Between the Lakes, freeing the area for heavier traffic. But Transportation Spokesman Keith Todd says two out-of-date bridges over the lakes still prevent some companies from using the route.
"Well I know there are several trucking companies that have their trucks route around there, simply because those bridge decks are much narrower than what we would build today. Those bridges are what we would term functionally obsolete. which essentially means they were built in the 1930s. During that period, the vehicles were much smaller."
Todd says the updated bridges will significantly cut down on travel time for some transporters. Officials have tentatively set completion for 2016. The 2010 General Assembly locked in funding for the bridges, which are expected to cost near three hundred fifty million dollars combined.