The Earle C. Clements Bridge, commonly known as the Shawneetown Bridge, is a
cantilever truss bridge carrying
Kentucky Route 56
Kentucky Route 56 (KY 56) is a state highway in Kentucky that runs from Illinois Route 13 (IL 13) near Old Shawneetown, Illinois, on the Shawneetown Bridge at the Kentucky-Illinois state line to KY 81 near Owensboro
Owensboro ...
and
Illinois Route 13
Illinois Route 13 (IL 13) is a major east–west state route in southern Illinois. Illinois 13 has its western terminus at Centreville at Illinois Route 157 and its eastern terminus at the Kentucky state line and the Ohio River, at Kentuck ...
across the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
.
Clements was a former governor of Kentucky. The bridge connects
Old Shawneetown, Illinois
Old Shawneetown is a village in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village had a population of 193, down from 278 at the 2000 census. Located along the Ohio River, Shawneetown served as an important United States ...
, to rural
Union County, Kentucky
Union County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 13,668. Its county seat is Morganfield. The county was created effective January 15, 1811.
The county is located on the left (east) ...
. Opened in 1955, it is the only highway bridge over the Ohio between
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Missour ...
, and
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
.
The Shawneetown Bridge was featured in a scene in the film ''
U.S. Marshals
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...
''. The film's crash scene was filmed several miles downstream in
Pope County, Illinois
Pope County is the southeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,763, making it the second-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Golconda. The county was organize ...
.
External links
Historic Bridges of the U.S. - Shawneetown Bridge
Road bridges in Illinois
Buildings and structures in Union County, Kentucky
Buildings and structures in Gallatin County, Illinois
Bridges completed in 1955
Bridges over the Ohio River
Road bridges in Kentucky
1955 establishments in Illinois
1955 establishments in Kentucky
Cantilever bridges in the United States
Truss bridges in the United States
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