Shawneetown Bridge

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Shawneetown Bridge
Shawneetown Bridge

Following the conclusion of the American Revolution, Shawneetown emerged as a prominent administrative center for the United States government in the Northwest Territory. During the early 19th century, a large number of pioneers undertook westward migrations, crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky into Illinois. The first documented ferry crossing of the river occurred in 1802.

In January 1928, the National Toll Bridge Company proposed the construction of multiple bridges over the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, including a crossing at Shawneetown, Illinois. Despite being granted a franchise for the construction of the bridge, the company was unable to proceed due to low traffic counts. It was not until 1946 that the proposal was revitalized.

In August 1951, agreements for the financing of the bridge were established. The estimated cost of the bridge was $3 million, with Kentucky funding its portion through tolls via a bond issue authorized by the Murphy Toll Bridge Act of 1928. Construction contracts for the new Shawneetown-Union County Bridge were acquired in February 1954, with work beginning shortly thereafter.

In the fall of 1955, the partially completed bridge was dedicated as the Earle C. Clements Bridge, named after U.S. Senator and former Kentucky Governor Earle C. Clements, who was politically aligned with Governor Lawrence Wetherby. However, prior to the bridge's completion in May 1956, newly-minted Governor Happy Chandler renamed it the Shawneetown Bridge. The move was so controversial that Chandler was not present at the bridge's dedication. The $4,475,000 bridge opened to traffic on June 1.

Traffic was tolled with rates ranging from 75¢ to $2.50. Tolls were retired on June 30, 1978, and the original construction bonds for the Shawneetown Bridge were retired on July 1.

➤ Check out more photos and the history of the Shawneetown Bridge at bridgestunnels.com/location/shawneetown-bridge/

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Taken on: February 5, 2023
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