Ohio River Bridges Project

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The Ohio River Bridges Project is a controversial Louisville metropolitan area transportation project involving the reconstruction of the Kennedy Interchange (locally known as "Spaghetti Junction"), the completion of two new Ohio River bridges and the reconstruction of ramps on Interstate 65 between I-264 and downtown.

One bridge will be located downtown and will be slightly upstream from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge for relief of I-65 traffic. The other, commonly referred to as the "East End bridge," will connect the Indiana and Kentucky segments of I-265 (via KY-841) between Louisville's East end and Utica, Indiana.

On July 26, 2002, the two governors of Kentucky and Indiana announced that the East End Bridge would be constructed, along with a new I-65 downtown span and a reconstructed Kennedy Interchange, where three interstates connect. The total of the three projects will total approximately $2.5 billion,^[1] and would be the largest transportation project ever constructed between the two states. 132 residents and 80 businesses would be displaced.

Construction is slated to begin in 2009 with the entire project being completed by 2020.

1 East End Bridge
- 1.1 Construction
2 Downtown Bridge
3 2008 report
4 Criticism and alternatives
5 References
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] East End Bridge

The result of many community discussions for over 30 years, the East End Bridge is part of a new 6.5 mile (10.5 km) highway that will connect I-265 in Indiana to I-265 in Kentucky. The completion of the bridge would connect the two disjointed interstates and form a 3/4 beltway around the Louisville metropolitan area. There is currently no plan to construct a bridge on the west end of I-265.

Design A-15 was chosen over six alternatives for the I-265 connection, which includes the East End Bridge. The new highway will pass through the historic Drumanard Estate in Kentucky, in which a tunnel will be constructed to pass underneath as the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The interstate will reappear from the tunnel near the Shadow Wood subdivision before crossing Transylvania Beach and then the Ohio River. The highway will pass north of Utica, Indiana, near the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.

This design came as a result of the $22.1 million, four-year Ohio River Bridges Study, which stated that in order to solve the region's traffic congestion, the solution would be to construct two new bridges and reconstruct the Kennedy Interchange.

109 residences, most in Clark County, Indiana will be displaced, the majority of which were constructed in the past year. Half of the Shadow Wood subdivision and two condominium buildings at Harbor of Harrods Creek in Jefferson County, Kentucky will be razed.

Limited land acquisition began in 2004, with the number of homes taken by eminent domain expected to be higher because of development occurring in the route path.

The only new interchange along the 6.5-mile (10.5 km) eastern route will be in Indiana at Salem Road. That full interchange will provide access to the Clark Maritime Center and the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, a 10,000-acre site that has been targeted for redevelopment. The ammunition plant is now called the River Ridge Commerce Center.

The new East End Bridge will include accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Former Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon said he could not wait for construction to begin, adding, "We'll finally be able to take down that sign at the end of Interstate 265 near the Clark Maritime Center that says 'No Bridge to Kentucky,'" he said to applause.

In September of 2005, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet released plans to reconstruct the U.S. Highway 42 interchange and rebuild the "super-two" roadway from I-71 north to the interchange. The super-two roadway already has a right of way wide enough for a six lane freeway, although currently only two lanes worth of space is being used. The incomplete US 42 interchange was constructed in the early 1960s with the original construction of Interstate 265. The reconstruction of the northern two miles will include the widening of the super-two alignment to six-lanes, the rebuilding and widening of the ramps at US 42, the installation of two traffic signals at the base of the ramps, and stub roadways that will eventually lead into a tunnel to the immediate north of the interchange in a few years.

On July 19, 2006, the final design alternatives for the East End Bridge were announced. The three designs chosen include: a cable-stayed bridge with two diamond-shaped towers with the cables reaching to the outside; a cable-stayed two-tower bridge with the towers in the center of the bridge deck and cables reaching to the outside; and a cable-stayed two center towered bridges with the cables extending to the center of the deck. It was also announced that the new bridge would cost $221 million and feature three northbound and three southbound lanes.^[1]

[edit] Construction

Construction of an exploratory tunnel under the historic east end property was to began in Summer 2007, however bids were 39% more than what the state had expected. Construction had not begun as of September 2007.^[2]

[edit] Downtown Bridge

The Downtown Bridge will be built parallel to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge upstream and will carry six lanes of northbound I-65 traffic. It will also accommodate separate pedestrian and bicycle lanes. The existing I-65 span will be renovated for six lanes of southbound traffic.

On July 19, 2006, the final design alternatives for the Downtown Bridge were announced. The three designs included: a three-span arch; a cable-stayed design with three towers; and a cable-stayed type with a single A-shaped support tower. It was also announced that the projected cost for the Downtown Bridge would be $203 million.^[1]

[edit] 2008 report

In February 2008 the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet released a study saying that tolls would be a possible part of the new bridges, as there was insufficient federal funds for the $4.1 billion project. The tolling would likely be electronic, without traditional tollbooths, similar to SunPass in Florida. The possibility of tolls was not a met with a warm reception; Jeffersonville's city council quickly passed a resolution urging state and federal officials to find ways besides tolls to fund the bridges project.^[3]

[edit] Criticism and alternatives

Like other public works projects, criticism and alternatives have sprung up. Criticism has largely centered around land acquisition and routing issues, as well as concerns that the Butchertown neighborhood would lose a significant portion of its historical infrastructure with its absorption into the reconfigured Kennedy Interchange. 8664.org, a notable alternative to a portion of the project plan, calls for I-64 to be rerouted around downtown using I-265 and the new East End Bridge so that I-64 in downtown can be deconstructed, making way for downtown park and business expansion in its place.

The safety and cost effectiveness of a 2,000 foot east end tunnel under a property on the National Register of Historic Places was questioned. It would be the second longest automobile tunnel in Kentucky, after the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, and the longest allowing Hazmat-containing vehicles to pass through unannounced and without escort. The chief of Harrods Creek, Kentucky Fire Department, who would be first responders to any accident, expressed concern that the proposed tunnel would be considerably more dangerous to travel through and with fewer safety precautions.^[4]