BENTON, KY. (AP) -- A western Kentucky county is thriving, not just surviving, after a boat struck a bridge that leads tourists to the area.
Marshall County Tourism Commission director Randy Newcomb said from January through March, hotel room tax numbers have jumped by 20 percent. Newcomb told The Paducah Sun (http://bit.ly/KcqoAK ) that warm weather has helped, but tourists wanting to see the part of the Eggner's Ferry Bridge that collapsed also gave the numbers a boost.
The bridge is undergoing repairs after being struck by the Delta Mariner in January. The bridge carries about 3,000 vehicles per day between Aurora and the Land Between the Lakes recreation area.
Direct repairs to the bridge are set to begin this weekend and construction firm Hall Contracting faces a May 27 deadline to complete construction.
