The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has shut down the sidewalks that run along Clark Memorial Bridge (Second Street Bridge) until further notice. Engineers conducting an annual inspection on the bridge said they identified deterioration in steel beams that support the southbound sidewalk, along with damage to the sidewalk’s concrete.

Safety Concerns

The northbound sidewalk has been closed since December 2024 after similar damage was found. The closure of the southbound sidewalk means the bridge is now completely cut off to pedestrian traffic. Officials said the closure is being done out of an abundance of caution to help keep pedestrians safe, but KYTC emphasized that the bridge is still safe for vehicular traffic.

The reason the bridge can remain open to vehicular traffic and not pedestrians is because the sidewalks are a separate structural element from the actual bridge itself, KYTC said. KYTC said it is continuing to develop a project aimed at restoring the bridge’s full weight capacity and is also looking at potential sidewalk upgrades as part of their rehab efforts.

Officials said they are also looking at other ways to improve safety along the bridge like condensing the bridge from four lanes down to three, with wider lanes for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.