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When the old KY 88 Bridge over Green River collapsed

It was a long, rickety, one-lane affair, and it was a scary crossing. It collapsed 31 years ago, when Bobby Arnett was attempting a crossing pulling a bulldozer. It was an eerily slow collapse, and Arnett was, miraculously uninjured.
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By Larry Smith
Operations Manager, FM 99.9, The Big Dawg, Campbellsville, KY

The Highway 88 Bridge spanning the Green River in Green County KY.This was a one -lane bridge and a very scary bridge to cross.

In 1980 Bobby Arnett was crossing the bridge when the dozer he was pulling caused the bridge to collapse. Arnett told me that the bridge slowly fell into the river and Arnett was not injured.

Also before the Green River Dam in Taylor county was built in the late 60's the water would rise over the bridge or at least up to the floor..."I'm tellin' ya...I hated to cross the bridge"... The bridge was replaced with a modern two-lane bridge.




This story was posted on 2011-09-20 17:14:35
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Old Bridge over Green River, KY 88 near Donansburg, KY



2011-09-20 - KY 88 at Green River, near Donansburg, KY - Photo from the Larry Smith Collection.
This photo was taken in December 1980, five months after the far end, in this photo, fell on July 12, 1980, as Bobby Arnett was pulling a bulldozer across the rickety 1 lane span. Larry Smith, who grew up in nearby Summersville, KY, remembers that the bridge was a scary passage, even riding in a light automobile.

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The Day the KY 88 Bridge over Green River fell July 12, 1980



2011-09-20 - KY 88 at Green River, near Donansburg, KY - Photo from the collection of Larry Smith.
Larry Smith didn't identify any of the men in the photo, but this shows the main span, and Bobby Arnett's bulldozer after the slowly falling bridge reached ground, on July 12, 1980. Miraculously, Arnett was uninjured.

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