Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge

Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge
Coordinates
Carries	2 lanes of Southbound Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (12th Street)
Crosses	Ohio River
Locale	Coal Grove, Ohio and Ashland, Kentucky
Maintained by	Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Characteristics
Design	Cantilever bridge
History
Opened	1932

Completed in 1932, the two-lane Ben Williamson Bridge connects Coal Grove, Ohio to Ashland, Kentucky, crossing the Ohio River. Named for Senator Ben M. Williamson, it was formerly a two-way span before the parallel Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge was completed upstream in 1985, it is used for Kentucky-bound traffic today. In 1989, the bridge was closed and renovated during which time traffic in both directions was diverted to the Willis Bridge. In early 2007, traffic was again diverted to the Willis Bridge in order to renovate and paint the bridge. The bridge was reopened on October 30, 2007. The bridge was also closed briefly and traffic again diverted to the Willis Bridge in the summer of 2013 after a tractor-trailer ran into the tower on the Ohio side.

See also

• List of crossings of the Ohio River

External links

• Ben Williamson Bridge at Bridges & Tunnels