(WYMT) – In parts of Eastern Kentucky, when heavy rain hits and low-water bridges go under, old swinging bridges become the only way in and out for some families.
Will Bowling grew up on a farm across the river from the road in Clay County. On flooded days, he still parks on one side and walks the swinging bridge to see his parents.
“If the bridge is flooded or something of that nature, a lot of times, and I want to go over and see my parents or something of that nature, I’ll park at the swinging bridge and walk across the swinging bridge and go over to see them,” Bowling said.
A new Kentucky law, Senate Bill 261, now lets counties and cities use public money to take care of pedestrian swinging bridges and gives landowners more legal protection when people use them, whether during a flood or just for fun.
The legislation spells out that counties and cities can use public money to maintain pedestrian swinging bridges as recreation and tourism spots, while state law limits their liability if someone gets hurt using them for fun.
“In the past, we’ve always been happy to share the bridges with folks, but it was always something in the back of your mind, what happens if somebody gets hurt,” Bowling said. “Having that recreational liability protection, but also some of the dollars to upkeep the bridges, is absolutely huge.”
For people like Bowling who grew up using the bridges, it is about more than tourism.
“They’ll park where we are parked because that is above the flood plain, or they’ll park over here and they’ll walk across the bridge so they can bring their groceries or whatever,” said Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers. “I mean it’s food, medicine, it’s your opportunity to health care, your job. You’ve got to have this bridge to get out.”
State officials have already said fiscal courts can use general fund dollars on swinging bridges that are open to the public. The new law goes further, calling out swinging bridges by name in state statute.
Retired county foreman Tommy Crawford helped build many of these bridges, starting back in 1990.
“You get to think about it, one bridge could serve a community of maybe ten families,” Crawford said. “Mostly where we built them was where it would serve the best for the community.”
Those same bridges are now drawing visitors, helping build a new kind of economy in a region looking for what is next.
“This really is kind of the next path forward for us, another tool in the tool chest for those of us who still live here,” Bowling said. “It’s making things better for people who come to see it and for those of us who live here at the same time.”
The new law also adds swinging bridges to Kentucky’s recreational use statute, meaning landowners and local governments that open bridges for public enjoyment have limited liability.