Due to an accident between two semis on Wednesday morning, the Brent Spence Bridge connecting downtown Cincinnati with Covington, Kentucky is closed in both directions.  As Cameron Knight, Jeanne Houck, and Madeline Mitchell of The Cincinnati Enquirer explained, the accident, in which a truck carrying potassium hydroxide collided with a jackknifed truck, caused a fire that lasted for two hours and burned as hot as 1,500 degrees. The fire resulted in damage not just to the northbound lower lanes, but also the upper deck containing the southbound lanes, hence the complete closure.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear couldn’t provide an exact timeline of when the bridge would be repaired, but estimated that it could take days or even weeks.

Meanwhile, as commuters in Cincinnati and the surrounding tri-state area attempted to find alternative routes, traffic increased on the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, resulting in its closure as well. The Roebling bridge is Cincinnati’s historic bridge, the construction of which began in 1856. The weight limit on the bridge is only 11 tons, and police in Covington reported that repeated violations of this limit is what prompted them to close the bridge, according to WLWT. The closure of this bridge remains indefinite.

If you have business in Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky in the coming days or weeks, be sure to keep in mind how these irregularities will affect your lanes. Our Account Executives, who are based in the area or very nearby, are familiar with these changes and can help you ensure safe delivery of your products even in unforeseen circumstances such as this.