The Ohio River Cave-In-Rock Ferry that transports motorists between Crittenden County and Illinois has a little more time to determine what the future of the ferry will look like.
A statement from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says that the ferry operator’s self-imposed deadline of July 1 was not enough time to evaluate and justify funding to the Ohio River Authority. It goes on to say that the Transportation Cabinet and the Illinois Department of Transportation are partnering to offer additional funds to the ferry for the next three months, to keep it operational for motorists while further financial evaluations are conducted.
As previously reported, the U.S. Coast Guard has several new regulations that will increase the cost of operating the ferry, including the addition of an additional crew member. Required equipment upgrades will also be a financial burden to Lonnie Lewis, who says he will not operate the service at a loss.
The Cave-in-Rock Ferry connects KY Highway 91 in Crittenden County with IL Route 1 in Hardin County, Illinois. Kentucky and Illinois each provide about $400,000 a year for operation of the Ferry through a Ferry Authority operated by the Crittenden County Fiscal Court.