US 62 Simon Kenton Bridge at Maysville closed Feb. 10-13 for surveys

The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge (US 62) at Maysville will be closed daily from Tuesday, Feb. 10 through Friday, Feb. 13 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for preliminary survey work ahead of scheduled bridge repairs, a traffic advisory issued Feb. 5 says. Motorists are urged to plan alternate routes during the survey hours to avoid slowdowns.

“Survey work will require daily bridge closure between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day. The date of the closure for the actual bridge repair work will be announced at a later date,” the advisory says. For drivers who cross the Ohio River regularly, the advisory recommends detouring to the William H. Harsha Bridge (US 68), about three miles west of Maysville, to connect between Kentucky and US 52, US 62, or US 68 in Ohio.

The planned survey is a preliminary step ahead of larger repair work that officials say will be scheduled later. Local officials and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 9 personnel have managed a string of inspections and closures at the Simon Kenton span in recent years. KYTC and county advisories previously required full or partial closures to inspect cables, steel beams and other structural components, and those past operations have shaped how current survey work will be staged.

In 2025, an extended closure through June 6 was used to complete in-depth examinations of the bridge’s main suspension cables. “The extension is necessary to complete in-depth examinations of the structure’s main suspension cables. The work requires the outside covering to be removed so cameras can be used to check individual wires, which has taken longer than expected,” KYTC District 9 said at the time. Routine engineering inspections in July 2025 also produced intermittent one-lane traffic and flagger-controlled alternation, with officials warning that “delays and traffic backups should be expected” because of the bridge’s high volume.

For Adams County and neighboring communities, the short full-day closures mean a short-term shift in commuting patterns, deliveries and emergency routing. Expect longer travel times for cross-river commutes and freight that normally uses US 62. Local drivers familiar with the Harsha Bridge often call it the three-mile hop when they need to bypass Maysville; officials say that route will handle most diverted traffic during survey hours.

KYTC District 9 is listed as the point of contact for further information: LeAnn True Norton, 606-845-2551 (office), 606-291-6363 (cell), LeAnn.Norton@ky.gov. Local inquiries may also be directed to People’s Defender at 206 N. Pleasant Street, West Union, Ohio 45693, or by phone at 937-544-2391. The advisory notes that officials will announce the date for the actual repair closures at a later time.

Plan ahead for the Feb. 10-13 window, allow extra travel time if you cross the river during daytime hours, and watch for posted detour signs as crews complete the surveys that will inform the upcoming repairs.