On the morning of July 25, 2016, the middle four spans of the old Eggner's Ferry Bridge were brought down using controlled explosives.

[1] On July 10, 1943, officials shut the bridge down for five months to build new pilings and raise the structure to make room for Kentucky Lake.

The project was expected to be completed in late 2017;[3] however, due to damage by a ship strike in January 2012, the timetable was moved forward.

Paducah television station WPSD-TV reported earlier in the week that the bridge was to be reduced to one lane on January 27 for a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) crew to repair the lights.

[8] Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear announced that the state would immediately review all options for restoring the roadway to service.

"We'll turn our attention to a full inspection of the bridge and determine what steps we can take next to speed up the replacement of that important artery.

The collapse had an immediate impact on employees and students at Murray State University who normally crossed the bridge during their commutes.

The old bridge was closed permanently in May 2016; on July 25, 2016, construction crews used explosives to demolish the original 1932 structure.