State inspects local bridges

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Reporter
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

MARSHALL COUNTY – At approximately 4:30 a.m. Friday, county residents were surprised by a disturbance in peaceful slumber.

An earthquake reaching level 5.2 on the Richter Scale let loose just outside West Salem, Ill., approximately 60 miles west of Evansville, Ind.

The rumble was felt as far north as Chicago, and as far south as Alabama.

“We didn’t have any reports of damage or accidents here,” said Melissa Combs of the Marshall County Office of Emergency Management.

However, the tremor has prompted precautionary measures by the Kentucky Department of Transportation.

“A 5.2 earthquake would not be expected to cause damage to well-engineered structures,” said Keith Todd of the Transportation Cabinet in a statement issued to the media. “Generally, the scale does not indicate structural damage to well constructed buildings until you approach 5.9. At 5.2, the scale indicates minor damage to older, non-reinforced structures, such as maybe bricks falling off buildings.”

It seems safety is the transportation department’s primary concern, and engineers set out to inspect many area bridges, beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday with the US 60 Tennessee River Bridge in Paducah.

US 60 Cumberland River bridge in Smithland, US Hwy. 51/US Hwy. 60 Wickliffe-Cairo Bridge, US Hwy. 68/KY 80 bridges over Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and the US Hwy. 45 Brookport Bridge were included in the day long inspections, as well.

Traffic delays were expected to be minimal, and damage to the immediate area was limited.

Kentucky’s Earthquake Program Manager, Lori King said “We are extremely fortunate that nobody was injured and only minor damages have been reported.”

She added, “This should be a wake up call to remind us that earthquakes can and do occur at any time and are unpredictable. As with any disaster we should be aware, be prepared, have a plan and an emergency kit.”