Ohio River Bridges Project

For many years, a great debate raged in the region regarding the need and location for a new bridge crossing the Ohio River. The existing bridges – The I-65 Kennedy Bridge, the Second Street (aka George Rogers Clark) Bridge, and the Sherman Minton Bridge, are currently either exceeding designed capacity or will soon do so. In addition, the safety and congestion problems experienced at the Spaghetti Junction are due in large part to the inadequate ramps that access the Kennedy Bridge and the difficult weaving movements necessary to access these ramps.
 
Recently, the Governors of Kentucky and Indiana, along with Mayor Fischer of Louisville, announced changes in the scope of the Ohio River Bridges Project that reduce the overall cost and increase the feasibility of the Project, while still delivering the needed improvements to reduce the number of accidents, improve traffic flow and expand cross-river mobility.  One of the largest transportation projects in the country, the revised project is now anticipated to cost $2.6 billion with both states agreeing to split the project costs evenly.  As part of this agreement, Kentucky will be responsible for completing the new Downtown bridge and the rebuilding of Spaghetti Junction, while Indiana will be responsible for completing the east end bridge and the tunnel in eastern Jefferson County.   

Currently, the Bridges Authority is conducting pre-bid conferences that will allow the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to issue a request for qualifications for potential contractors.  This request for qualifications will then be used to create a short list of three contractor teams, which will then be evaluated according to a formula that considers cost, schedule, technical approach, and inclusion planning.  

On March 5, 2012, the Governors of Kentucky and Indiana signed an agreement on a financing plan for the Ohio River Bridges Project.  The plan calls for the $2.6 billion project to occur over six years, with each state assuming half of the project’s total cost.  Kentucky has pledged $536 million in traditional funding for its portion of the project, and Indiana has pledged $432 million in traditional funding.  The plan also calls for tolls to be collected on the two new bridges and the revamped Kennedy Bridge.  Under the current plan, tolls would begin as soon as the first bridge is complete and be in the range of $1 per crossing for frequent commuters in cars and small SUVs.  Tolls for other cars and SUVs would be in the $2 range, and the rates would be about $5 for panel trucks and $10 for tractor trailers.  Just like the cost of the project, Kentucky and Indiana will split all toll revenues evenly.     

 

Downtown Bridge

A new six-lane bridge will carry northbound I-65 traffic, immediately upstream from the existing Kennedy Bridge which will be converted to six lanes for southbound traffic.  The existing bridge handles more traffic than it was designed to carry and does not meet safety standards.

 

 

 

Spaghetti Junction Rebuild

The interchange, where I-65, I-64 and I-71 converge at the base of the Kennedy Bridge in Louisville, will be rebuilt as part of the Bridges Project.  The recently announced change to the project calls for Spaghetti Junction to be rebuilt in place instead of the original plans to reconstruct the interchange to the south of the current interchange.  The reconstructed interchange will address the design and safety challenges that exist in the junction today. Also, the revised project will add no additional lanes over Waterfront Park’s “Great Lawn,” meaning residents and visitors will continue to enjoy that amenity as they do today.

 

 

East End Bridge

 

For more information and resources:
The Bridges Coalition: www.buildthebridges.com 
Ohio River Bridges Project: www.kyinbridges.com 
Bi-State Bridges Authority: www.bridgesauthority.com 

Redesign of Brook/Jefferson Street Interchange

A major impediment to the integration of the Waterfront district and the Louisville Medical Center into the whole of downtown is the intrusion of the I-65 Brook/Jefferson Streets off-ramp. While this ramp serves as the first and major Downtown exit of Southbound I-65, it has many problems. The current location of this exit ramp orients traffic in a westbound or northbound direction, making access to the Medical Center difficult. Additionally, the current location of the I-65 ramp is very land intensive and placed in a location after the bridge crossing and a major curve, which increases the potential for dangerous weaving and merging movements. Essentially two full blocks of the downtown core remain of marginal use as a result.

It is strongly recommended that this ramp be reconfigured and relocated slightly southbound, in the block bounded by Brook Street on the west, Liberty Street on the north, Floyd Street and I-65 on the east, and Muhammad Ali Boulevard on the south. Under this alternative, a new slip ramp would be constructed that would run parallel to the existing I-65 right-of-way and drop down to grade level as it passes east of the current Doctor’s Office building, then provide northbound access at the intersection of Muhammad Ali and Brook Street, and southbound access at First Street and Brook (if Brook becomes two-way). 

This reconfiguration would greatly improve the clarity of access to the Medical Center. Furthermore, relocation of this ramp a block further south than its present location removes it from the bend in I-65, increasing visibility, providing longer merge and weave segments, and improving overall safety and efficiency of the ramp. Relocation of this ramp would also free up an additional two blocks for new development such as the expansion of University of Louisville’s Nucleus Bio-Medical Research Park. These two additional development blocks would also provide a much-needed connection between the medical center district and the burgeoning East Main and Waterfront Districts to its north.