Although the Eggner Ferry Bridge has been repaired and is back in operation, there is still debris – mostly concrete and steel – from the span that has since been replaced, and the safety of leaving the debris there is a concern among many people.

Last week, Trigg County Judge-Executive Stan Humphries informed the Trigg County Fiscal Court of a proposal from Foss Maritime, the owner of the M/V Delta Mariner, which hit the bridge, knocking off a 322-foot span and putting the bridge out of commission for 121 days.

Foss Maritime is offering to make a donation to Trigg and Marshall counties to cover the cost of emergency operations connected to the collapse in lieu of recovering the debris from the bottom of the lake.

At that meeting, Humphries expressed concern about how the debris will impact regular activities on Kentucky Lake, and also didn’t think that county governments will be the ones to accept or reject the proposal.

In a statement made Wednesday, June 7, Suzanne Lagoni, spokesperson for Foss Maritime, said they have been talking with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, stating that, “it was mentioned that leaving the debris in the lake might be beneficial as a fish sanctuary.”

Lagoni said that as a result of this discussion, attorneys for Foss Maritime have talked with local officials about this idea. She said that with removal costs likely to exceed $1 million, they want to explore every option, but added that any option would have to be acceptable to federal and local officials and would have to be environmentally sound.

For the rest of this story, see this week's issue of The Cadiz Record or subscribe to our e-Edition by calling 270-522-6605.