Brookport Bridge

MY Dad pulled a New Moon house trailer 8'x48', across the Irvin Cobb (Brookport) Bridge from up state Il. to Paducah In 1961.This was before the metal deck and before they widened it. He had 6 kids in the car and all our belongings in the trailer. It's a great bridge. I am an experienced biker and have no problems crossing the bridge on a bike...

Riding across this bridge on a motorcycle isn't a problem if you're experienced.

We crossed this bridge 06-16-08. The sign saying "attention motorcyclist" was not enough warning for anyone on a motorcycle. We never prayed so hard in our lives that we would make it over the bridge without either running head-on into oncoming traffic,dump the bike and get run over by a car behind us or hit the rail and get knocked down!!! This is the worse bridge we have ever seen for a motorcycle to have to cross. You need to post a warning sign that says no motorcycles should cross this bridge. Your sign does nothing to prepare a cycle driver for what he is going to have to do to keep his bike upright!! We wonder how many accidents with bikes have happened on this bridge.

My wife and I crossed this bridge by motorcycle. The warning sign was missing. Only the attn. motorcyclist was visible. My wife asked what I thought that it mean't and I said it probably means beware of high winds. However the sign at entrance of the bridge said, Steel Top bridge. Too late to stop, here we go. I didn't breathe the whole way over. I DO NOT RECOMMEND RIDING OVER THIS! It's a good story to tell though.

We love our old blue bridge. It is an adventure in faith every time you cross it. It's a standing joke that when the driver education people take students across, and only hit the side rails once, you've passed your drivers test. Twice, and you fail!

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A CURVE BRIDGE TO YOU!:@

This is an awesome bridge and has a spectacular view! However, that being said, we just crossed it on 10/20/07 on motorcycles! Never again! How can you go 45-50 MPH when the speed limit is 25! We are seasoned riders, but felt like we had no control! Is there a t-shirt that says, "We crossed the Blue Hummer and survived!"? ;-)

Many locals refer to the Brookport bridge as the "Blue Hummer" because of the humming sound tires make as they roll acroos the open decking.

Some one informed me that the decking was laid in the wrong direction and this is the reason for the sound.

I'd rather cross this bridge than the I-24 bridge. Seems like there is a pile-up every week on the I-24 bridge. Just yesterday, an 8 car crash closed the "modern" bridge. In addition, the 24 bridge was closed for a year around 1980 to repair cracks in the concrete, and then had another major overhaul in the early 1990's.

Oh yeah, the blue bar bridge took another big hit from a barge!!!! Look out boys, she's coming down!!! hahahaha

joking... just joking.

I grew up in Massac County and have crossed this bridge too many times to count. I've never been concerned about it. For those who have never driven across a steel bridge deck it could be alarming but once you drive it once or twice it isn't a big deal. For those of you who get nervous on this bridge try not to think about the fact that you can manage to push an aluminium can through the gaps in the deck! Seriously though this bridge has had far fewer problems than the bridge over the Ohio on Interstate 24.

I was raised most of my life and still have family living in Brookport. I have crossed the bridge so many times that if I had a nickel for each time (either direction), I would be a very rich man. The key to crossing this bridge is to drive around 45-50 MPH while on the deck (of course, you'll need to slow down northbound as there is a fairly tight curve as you exit the bridge into Brookport). If you drive any slower, the metal decking will tend to grab your tires and make you wobble side to side. Likewise, if you have winter tires or tires with a large tread, the same result may happen. Hey...Stay calm...those of you who freak out on this thing are the ones who give us a reason to paint it every so often (SCREEEEEEEEEEEE...that's the sound of your car swapping paint with the bridge). The only thing I don't recommend is crossing the bridge on foot or bike; you gotta keep your eyes open for the other fool.

I just crossed this bridge southbound on Thursday, April 13th, and I have to agree with the first poster, although I will say that with all the construction vehcles on the eastern half, it feels as if you have a whole lot less deck to work with. I very definitely had a harder time controlling the car on the metal deck. There was another bridge a lot like this one in Boonville, MO at one time. I didn't like driving over it, either.

man you scare easy, I go to high school near the bridge and my job is across the bridge I cross it daily, its a little annoying right now though because of them repainting but it is a great bridge, YOU and about 50% of my high school a scared to cross it, I have lived by that bridge ALL MY LIFE! I have been across in pick-up trucks, cars, motorcycles, and semis (MY DAD DRIVES SEMIS) the bridge is very well designed. It got hit by a barge in around 2000, IT WAS LOUD, but the bridge took it, Didn’t even half to close it. They recently upgraded it. with solar powered cameras and a fiber optic cable that crosses it.

I crossed this bridge in 1952 while my mother was in labor on her way from Metropolis Illinois to Riverside Hospital in Paducah. This bridge is (or at least was) named after journalist Irvin S. Cobb.

I drive this bridge every day to work with no problems. The only thing you have to worry about is the little speed trap town and barny fife wanna be of brookport.

It is one of the best constructed bridges I have ever seen. It is braced and cross braced repeatedly. I would much prefer to be on it than on the I 24 bridge when the New Madrid earthquake zone finally goes off. I have been across it many many hundreds of times and I love it.

It is one of the best constructed bridges I have ever seen. It is braced and cross braced repeatedly. I would much prefer to be on it than on the I 24 bridge when the New Madrid earthquake zone finally goes off. I have been across it many many hundreds of times and I love it.

I drove across this bridge several times and I still get extemely nervous, the metal roadway makes it feel like you are losing control of your vehicle, my stepdad used to drive grain trucks on the bridge prior to I-24 bridge being built and he stated that it was the worst bridge he has ever drove across.

My advice:

TAKE THE I-24 BRIDGE UNLESS YOU ARE BRAVE