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.
What was a free 15-minute trip across the Ohio River now requires an 85-mile detour – a change that Crittenden County Judge Executive Perry Newcom said has had a direct impact on the region.
For the western Kentucky county’s seat of Marion, Newcom said the local economy relied on the traffic the ferry brought in from Illinois. With the prolonged closure, he said some area establishments are taking a hit.
“One of the local businesses here is a monument shop, and they estimate that they've lost probably 15 to 20% of their business because of the closure and people just not willing to drive around… [and] shop like they ordinarily would have,” Newcom said.
Along with bringing in vital tourism dollars, Newcom said the ferry also enabled workforce participation from Illinois residents. The closure has extended work commutes by at least an hour each way for those who have to cross state lines. Newcom said that has led to some leaving their jobs altogether.
“The [Crittenden Community] Hospital has lost some… nursing staff and lab technicians. Some of those positions were filled with people who lived in southern Illinois, and they just refused to drive around [to Kentucky], and were able to find employment on the Illinois side of the river, which definitely hurt our hospital,” Newcom said.
The Cave-In-Rock Ferry operators requested around a 47% funding increase for its next two-year contract. State officials denied the request, countering with the previous contract’s budget of $1.8 million per year.
“The longer the ferry is idled, the more people are going to start changing their travel patterns, changing their needs… their shopping patterns,” Newcom said. “At what point does that change turn into a habit, that even when the ferry starts again, [we are] going to see a significant reduction in ridership?”
Newcom said although talks are still ongoing, all of the proposed short-term solutions – such as a per-car fee for those who use the ferry – have been denied by the operator. Long-term, if the two sides can’t reach an agreement to restart the ferry service, Newcom said Kentucky and Illinois legislators may need to approve a new funding mechanism.
However, he said this would mean the ferry service likely wouldn’t be available next summer at the earliest, which Perry said may lead some to question if people will stick with a longer drive permanently and eliminate the need for the ferry.
