Carroll Cropper Bridge Painting Project Extended

Extension needed for additional repairs. Lane restrictions cease April 6.

(Petersburg, Ky.) - The zone painting project on the Interstate 275 Carroll Cropper Bridge will continue past its initial March 31 contract completion date as additional repairs were found by the contractor. Measures are being taken to reduce traffic impacts.  

A single lane closure on I-275 eastbound (Indiana to Kentucky) at the bridge will remain in place until April 6. After that date, daytime lane restrictions will be lifted and any further work will take place at night to alleviate traffic congestion.

This zone painting project is aimed at ensuring the 1970s bridge remains open and safe for commuters to use for years to come and minimize future maintenance needs. Crews are painting in areas where steel repairs took place from December 2024 through December 2025. This work will protect against corrosion, particularly in vulnerable areas such as floor beams and beneath joints, where paint has deteriorated.

The zone painting project is progressing as the contractor, Southern Road & Bridge, LLC, works extended hours seven days a week. The contractor is anticipating that the remaining work will continue into May.

KYTC is working with the contractor to ensure the needed bridge work gets done and to alleviate congestion during peak travel times. Following the April 6 contract date, the bridge will reopen daily between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the contractor performing work at night. Intermittent weekend daytime lane closures may be necessary as part of this work. KYTC will provide updates ahead of any daytime lane closures.

Transportation Cabinet engineers will continue working closely with the contractor to explore potential solutions that could accelerate progress and bring the bridge back into full service as soon as possible. The cabinet will provide updates as work progresses, and new schedule information becomes available.

The nearly $2.5 million repair project, which began in early December 2025, is a critical investment in the bridge’s future ahead of the upcoming Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, and will maintain the vital traffic service the bridge provides across the Ohio River between northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.

Around 40,600 vehicles cross the Carroll Cropper Bridge daily. The structure opened to traffic in 1977.

Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and leave early to avoid potential travel delays when heading from Indiana into Kentucky on I-275.

More information about the zone painting project can be found here.