Carroll Cropper Bridge Project Will Run Into 2026

The KYTC issued a project completion date on Friday.

(Petersburg, Ky.) - A zone painting project is under way on the Interstate 275 Carroll Cropper Bridge, which spans the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana, to fulfill Team Kentucky’s commitment to a safe transportation system for the traveling public while minimizing future traffic interruptions and maintaining the condition of a critical crossing ahead of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project construction.

Zone painting is a necessary maintenance practice for steel bridges to protect against corrosion, particularly in vulnerable areas such as floor beams and beneath joints, or where existing paint has deteriorated. The process involves cleaning and repainting only the affected sections to prevent the spread of rust and extend the overall life of the structure. Only the eastbound lanes of the bridge, from Indiana to Kentucky, will need to remain closed during the length of the zone painting project expected to be completed by March, 31, 2026, weather permitting.

Crews will be working simultaneously with a separate contractor already on-site performing floor beam repairs on the bridge. Performing this work now, during the ongoing bridge repairs, saves time and will get the bridge fully opened sooner. Once the floor beam repairs are completed, and the overall T-1 steel repair project is finished, crews will reopen all westbound lanes from Kentucky to Indiana by Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Southern Road & Bridge LLC is contracted to perform the nearly $2.5 million painting project.

Update on ongoing Carroll Cropper Bridge repair project

In 2023, a federally mandated T-1 steel inspection took place. This inspection identified 88 areas that would need future repairs, but did not pose immediate safety concerns. In July 2024, a routine bridge inspection took place. By late 2024, the findings of that inspection found two critical repairs needed to take place – expansion joint repairs and floor beam repairs to ensure the bridge could be in good working order for years to come. These repairs required KYTC to close a single lane in each direction on the bridge. The lane closures have been put in place to prevent further deterioration on the bridge.

The T-1 steel repairs were completed in Summer 2025. Expansion joint repairs were completed in Fall 2025. KYTC worked with bridge design consultants and the contractor to review designs for shoring, phasing and the overall repair plan for the floor beam repairs. Over the past month, the contractor finalized the prep work needed for the floor beam repairs with working platforms and shoring beams installed on-site. Over the past two weeks, crews have been working on the floor beam repairs. This work is taking place underneath of the bridge and out of sight of passing motorists. This work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. For more information about the repair project and the paint project – check out the overall project website here.