Construction began on the Cannelton Ohio River Bridge on June 13, 1964. This bridge connects Cannelton, Indiana to Hawesville, Kentucky. It took two years to complete and was dedicated on November 19 1966, and opened to traffic at 9:30 a.m. on December 21, 1966 being then called the Lincoln Trail bridge. It was because of Bob Cummings work to get the bridge in Cannelton that it was built, so later on in 1974 the bridge was renamed the Bob Cummings / Lincoln Trail Bridge. He was a civic leader and worked tirelessly to get the bridge built between Cannelton and Hawesville. Always before this the only way to cross the river was through the use of the ferry. The last ferry boat to take cars across here was Dec. 21, 1966. Then the bridge was officially open. 

We also interviewed Floyd Freeman, another lifelong Cannelton resident, and he told us that the bridge made it easier for the folks who worked on one side and lived on the other to get to work and back. He also said: "I remember riding the ferry one night when it was loaded with cars. One night the ferry was so loaded down with cars that it made the ferry sit low in the water...and this night the river was rough, so rough that the waves of the river was coming up over the deck of the ferry to the point where all of the people had to gather in a little cabin on the ferry and stand on the benches that were provided for people to sit on...there was a foot of water on the top of the ferry at that time. The bridge has eliminated that problem completely. It makes the transition of people working from state to state better, it really improved things in that regard. "