Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge

Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge
Coordinates
Carries	3 lanes of Northbound Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (13th Street)
Crosses	Ohio River
Locale	Coal Grove, Ohio and Ashland, Kentucky
Maintained by	Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Characteristics
Design	Cantilever bridge
History
Opened	1985

Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge is a bridge constructed in 1985 over the Ohio River connecting Winchester Ave. (US 23) and 13th St. (US 60) at Ashland, Kentucky to US 52 at Coal Grove, Ohio. It is named for Kentucky Governor Simeon S. Willis. The bridge was planned, at one point, to cross at 45th St. and connect to a proposed Ashland bypass. The Willis bridge, however, was built one block from the existing Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge and generally carries only Ohio-bound traffic. Southbound traffic, which is normally carried on the Williamson Bridge, was diverted to the Willis Bridge in early 2007 so that the Williamson Bridge could be repaired and painted. The Williamson 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

• Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge at Bridges & Tunnels