Hundreds travel over it every day, but the Cumberland River Ferry is about to see a big change.

A new ferry barge was transported across Tompkinsville Wednesday morning.

It took the caravan two hours to carry the new barge through nine miles of Monroe County's winding roads.

.2 miles on Radio Station Road.

"It's a new ferry boat from the state highway department of Tompkinsville," explains Grandview Welding owner and operator Brian Froedge.

Turn left onto North Main Street.

"The approximate weight on it is 115,000 pounds," he continues.

Hang a left at North Magnolia.

"It's taken a little over two months from start to completion," Froedge remembers.

Now, it's a nine mile shot to the Cumberland River, a trek for the new ferry barge that has onlookers pulling faces of concern.

"The road that's coming down to the Cumberland River from the Tompkinsville area, it's a pretty crooked road," Froedge explains. "If you know the road, it's narrow, and a lot of places we had to get real, real tight to get it through."

The 25 people of the caravan say this is a necessary trip.

"The old boat that's in the water right now is in bad shape," says Froedge. "We've needed one for a long time, but maybe now, they'll get a good boat."

The new barge costs a grand total of $300,000.

That's a price transportation officials say is worth it, with the metal weakening on the old barge.

"It's expensive," says Transportation Branch Manager Daryl Price. "It's also for the safety of school buses and the people that cross. They need good equipment."

Transportation officials add, they opted to build the new $300,000 barge when it was determined that it would cost $20 million to build a bridge across this area of the Cumberland River.