I-265 Ohio River Bridge

[NWI_Irish96]

I thought Exit 0 was going away.  Was I wrong?

My understanding is that Southbound Exit 0 is being eliminated but it will still exist Northbound. 

[thefro]

I thought Exit 0 was going away.  Was I wrong?

My understanding is that Southbound Exit 0 is being eliminated but it will still exist Northbound.

That'd be smart as it already is a bottleneck as-is.  Add people changing lanes quickly to try to dart off the Interstate and avoid the tolls and it could get pretty bad in the future.

[NWI_Irish96]

I-65 Exit 1 Southbound (Stansifer Ave/10th St/US 31) has a new traffic pattern.  The ramp/access road has been shifted to the right onto new pavement. 

[NWI_Irish96]

The ramp from I-65 northbound to I-64 westbound has been closed indefinitely due to the discovery of a failing support column.
The I-64 eastbound to I-65 southbound ramp is already closed to due bridge construction.

I-264 is the detour for both closures.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I don't now the sequence of construction, obviously, but in light of this development, could they not just close all ramps from 65 North to 64 and all ramps from 64 going south on 65, would that speed up construction?

[hbelkins]

The ramp from I-65 northbound to I-64 westbound has been closed indefinitely due to the discovery of a failing support column.
The I-64 eastbound to I-65 southbound ramp is already closed to due bridge construction.

I-264 is the detour for both closures.

The contractor on site for the new bridge is going to fix the support column.

[NE2]

They should have built 265 first. Then 86ed 64 west of 65.

[NWI_Irish96]

They should have built 265 first. Then 86ed 64 west of 65.

That never was/is going to happen.  A lot of really rich people live in Floyd county and commute to downtown Louisville via I-64.

[tdindy88]

Although I am not one to necessarily argue for the 8664 idea, didn't that plan include keeping the I-64 freeway segment from I-264 to Downtown Louisville but without the freeway connection to 65 and 71?

[hbelkins]

The ramp is back open.

[tidecat]

Although I am not one to necessarily argue for the 8664 idea, didn't that plan include keeping the I-64 freeway segment from I-264 to Downtown Louisville but without the freeway connection to 65 and 71?

Yes.  The stub of I-64 ("I-364" under the 8664 plan) would have run from the current junction of I-64 and I-265 to 22nd Street.

[silverback1065]

Although I am not one to necessarily argue for the 8664 idea, didn't that plan include keeping the I-64 freeway segment from I-264 to Downtown Louisville but without the freeway connection to 65 and 71?

Yes.  The stub of I-64 ("I-364" under the 8664 plan) would have run from the current junction of I-64 and I-265 to 22nd Street.

well the 8664 people lost they need to get over it and accept the new plan

[seicer]

There is no losing or winning. There is compromise and revaluation. After the beltway has been completed, it would be good to reexamine traffic patterns and how they shift and see if the 8664 proposal would be worth exploring. After all, the viaduct along the river will need significant rehabilitation in another 20 years - and its demolition could be justified - just like many other elevated highways.

[tidecat]

Sherman, that might be 8664's next best shot - wait for I-64 over the Great Lawn to need replacement.  Depending on growth patterns, it might also be wise to push one of the two as a companion part of the plan:

(1) An extension and new non-interstate bridge for US 31W from the Portland area, to Vincennes Street.  US 31W can use IN-111 and IN-311 to rejoin US 31 at Sellersburg, which of course is to where US 31E would be extended.  This makes the Portland area more accessible from Indiana, and provides an alternative should there be a problem with I-64 over the Ohio River.

(2) A southwestern bridge to connect the Gene Snyder Freeway to I-64 in Indiana.

[silverback1065]

Sherman, that might be 8664's next best shot - wait for I-64 over the Great Lawn to need replacement.  Depending on growth patterns, it might also be wise to push one of the two as a companion part of the plan:

(1) An extension and new non-interstate bridge for US 31W from the Portland area, to Vincennes Street.  US 31W can use IN-111 and IN-311 to rejoin US 31 at Sellersburg, which of course is to where US 31E would be extended.  This makes the Portland area more accessible from Indiana, and provides an alternative should there be a problem with I-64 over the Ohio River.

(2) A southwestern bridge to connect the Gene Snyder Freeway to I-64 in Indiana.

This is assuming indiana would agree on doing that.  311 doesn't exist anymore, and 111 barely still exists.

[hbelkins]

It's taken them decades just to build the I-265 east end bridge. With Brent Spence needing replacement and a new I-69 crossing also needed, I don't think Louisville will be getting any more bridges anytime soon.

I also don't think the 8664 idea will go anywhere. As badly as I talk about Louisville, there are some people with intelligence there. 

[froggie]

It's taken them decades just to build the I-265 east end bridge. With Brent Spence needing replacement and a new I-69 crossing also needed, I don't think Louisville will be getting any more bridges anytime soon.

A stronger argument could be made for either a new I-64 bridge or a new bridge nearby it than for a new I-69 bridge.  Especially with the way Federal funding has gone over the past few years, I-69 is at best on life support, if not flatlining.

[NWI_Irish96]

(2) A southwestern bridge to connect the Gene Snyder Freeway to I-64 in Indiana.

The problem with building that bridge is not just the bridge, but the 15 or so miles from the bridge up to I-64, over some very hilly terrain.  It's also questionable how useful such a bridge would be for purposes other than going to the Horseshoe.

[NE2]

The terrain appears to level off greatly west of SR 11. Not that this bridge would necessarily be a good idea, but the hills probably aren't a problem.

[NWI_Irish96]

Some traffic changes coming up on the Indiana side:

On the east end: Beginning Thursday afternoon, the westbound lanes of IN 265 will close from 10th Street to Coopers Lane.  Eastbound and westbound traffic will each use one of the eastbound lanes.  People who commute to/from Clark Maritime Center via IN 265 are going to see increased travel times.

Downtown: Beginning Monday morning, Missouri Ave will be closed between Court Ave and Clark Blvd for utility work.

[thefro]

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20140124/NEWS01/301240050/Ohio-River-bridges-price-tag-slashed-by-240-million

Both bridges are now supposed to be substantially complete by the end of 2016 according to this article.  East End Bridge by October 2016 (8 months ahead of schedule) and new downtown bridge by December 2016 (19 months ahead of schedule).

They've saved $240 million from the estimated price tag, mainly by shaving 200 feet off the tunnel on the Kentucky approach ($200 million savings) and by lower construction costs due to the schedule being sped up.

[hbelkins]

I'll be in Louisville June 4-6 for a work conference and that would make it awfully handy to have a meet there on Saturday, June 7.

However... https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11553.0

As you can see there, I probably won't have a chance to scout for the meet and come up with a tour.

Would some of the posters on this thread who live near Louisville be willing to help out with putting something together?

[NWI_Irish96]

I live in the area and have time, but I've never organized or even been to a road meet before, so I'm not sure exactly what I would need to do.

[Brandon]

I live in the area and have time, but I've never organized or even been to a road meet before, so I'm not sure exactly what I would need to do.

You'd need to come up with a small amount of places to go see on a short tour.  Any new construction projects, any historic roads/bridges, etc that you think people might find interesting and photogenic.

Here's a thread about hosting a road meet: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=9498.0

[hbelkins]

I live in the area and have time, but I've never organized or even been to a road meet before, so I'm not sure exactly what I would need to do.

I'd like to find places to see the progress of construction on both sides of the river for both bridges. Places where we could park with good access to views of construction sites.

It'd be best to confine talk about the meet itself to the meet thread I started.