Cave-In-Rock

The Cave-In-Rock Ferry, which has connected western Kentucky and southern Illinois across the Ohio River for decades, has been closed for over two months as state officials continue to negotiate with the private company that provides the service. But a local official says the closure could drag on – and potentially require legislative action to resolve.

Funding is currently being negotiated to keep the long-running Cave-in-Rock Ferry operational for the next two years, but disagreements between the state and ferry operators are putting this year’s talks on the rocks. If a deal is not met before the current contract’s June 30 expiration date, the ferry serving parts of far western Kentucky and southern Illinois would shut down – leaving some community members high and dry.

River ferries were a central part of life for many Ohio River communities generations ago, when they were a necessity for trade and transportation.

A ferry that transports hundreds of cars across the Ohio River each day between western Kentucky and southern Illinois could see its operations grind to a halt by the end of the week because of ongoing contract negotiations.

Tracy Ross speaks with author and historian Todd Carr ahead of his Virtual Evening Upstairs presentation, "Cave-in-Rock Pirates and Outlaws," this Thursday, November 18th.

The TransAmerica bicycle trail is now marked through western Kentucky. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has placed signs along the route north of…

Highway 91 goes north from Marion, Kentucky to the Ohio River, where there's a small ferry crossing to Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. That limestone cave, now a…