I-69 Ohio River Bridge

[ilpt4u]

not sure what they meant by access road from weinbach I didn't see that anywhere on the exhibit.

I read that to mean construction/use of a temporary construction access road to the new terrain 69 corridor to/from Weinbach Ave, for moving equipment and materials and labor, etc

It was a bit vague in the pdf presentation, agreed

[SW Indiana]

There are 7 new bridge construction contracts to be bid on 11/01 listed on INDOT's bid letting via the website, related to the 69 crossing on the Indiana side.

[abqtraveler]

New July 2023 GSV from US-41/Pennyrile Parkway near Van Wyk Road east of Henderson, showing construction where I-69 will eventually depart the existing alignment and head northeast toward US-60. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8453681,-87.5662562,3a,75y,122.32h,81.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so24ond_OD__pFzXGQn0hNQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

And at US-60, no major work has started there yet, but the ROW has been fallowed in anticipation of construction starting soon.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8636867,-87.5246118,3a,53.8y,196.42h,93.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOM4yg6bMWV1eWazKrg-gRA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[rte66man]

Joint Indiana/Kentucky grant application

Gov. Andy Beshear Announces Kentucky, Indiana Applying for $632.3 Million
Federal Grant to Advance Interstate 69 Ohio River Crossing Bi-State Mega Project

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 21, 2023) — Gov. Andy Beshear today announced that Kentucky and
Indiana are jointly applying for a $632.3 million federal grant for the Interstate 69 Ohio River
Crossing project at Henderson, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana.

"Our administration has pledged to seek and compete for every available federal dollar for this
much anticipated and long-needed project. This application, in concert with our partners at the
Indiana Department of Transportation, follows through on that pledge,"  Gov. Beshear said.
"Completing the crossing is critical for connectivity, safety and the competitiveness of our
economies. But its importance extends far beyond this region, and that makes it worthy of
significant federal funding. It's important nationally because the crossing will close a major gap
in the I-69 corridor. It's important internationally because I-69 is a major freight corridor
stretching from Canada to Mexico,"  Gov. Beshear said.

The Indiana DOT and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet submitted the application for funding
through the Multimodal Discretionary Grant Program, which was created as part of the 2021
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The two states propose to put up $513.7 million from other
funding sources if the grant is approved. The states already have obligated $265 million toward
environmental studies and construction of the first section of the project in Henderson.

The $1.4 billion project, which has been branded I-69 ORX, is one of three mega-projects that
have been at the top of Gov. Beshear's transportation priority list, along with the $3.6 billion
Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project linking Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati and the $400
million expansion and extension of the Mountain Parkway through Eastern Kentucky.

The I-69 ORX project has three sections:

- Section 1: The Kentucky approach, which will extend I-69 in Kentucky by 6 miles, from
where it currently ends at its intersection with the Henderson Bypass (KY 425) to the
Ohio River. Section 1 has three new or rebuilt interchanges, nine new land bridges and
seven rehabilitated bridges. Gov. Beshear broke ground for Section 1 in June 2022.

- Section 2: A new, four-lane Ohio River bridge. Construction is scheduled to begin in
2027 and be completed in 2031. However, if awarded the grant, the two states will be
able to accelerate the timeline.

- Section 3: The Indiana approach. INDOT plans to take bids for the project late this year,
begin construction in 2024 and complete the project in 2026.

INDOT traffic projections anticipate more than 50,000 vehicle river crossings per day by 2045,
easily within the capacity of the new I-69 bridge and its approaches. They will be built to modern
interstate standards — two 12-foot-wide driving lanes in each direction with outside shoulders at
least 10 feet wide and inside shoulders of no less than 4 feet.

I-69 currently is connected in the Henderson-Evansville region by way of U.S. 41, which crosses
the Ohio River on two bridges that were not designed for interstate travel. The northbound span
was built in 1932. The southbound bridge was added in 1965. Both spans are rated "adequate"
for their legal load requirements but becoming increasingly costly and difficult to maintain,
hurting the corridor's reliability for freight movement.

The new I-69 bridge will be reliable, constructed to be more resilient to extreme weather, and
equipped in ways to improve safety, including efficient LED lighting and new signage.
"This project is critical to future economic development and equally important for safety,"
Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. "It aligns with the goals and objectives of the
National Roadway Safety Strategy from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

[ibthebigd]

Could this grant help so the bridge doesn't have to be a toll bridge

SM-G996U

[hbelkins]

Could this grant help so the bridge doesn't have to be a toll bridge

SM-G996U

I don't see why not, since a similar grant was awarded for the Brent Spence Bridge to be built without tolls.

[The Ghostbuster]

Isn't building the future Interstate 69 Ohio River Bridge as a toll bridge a done deal? Maybe The Twins Bridge should also be tolled as a way of discouraging toll shun-pikers.

[sprjus4]

Maybe The Twins Bridge should also be tolled as a way of discouraging toll shun-pikers.

No.

[Life in Paradise]

Maybe The Twins Bridge should also be tolled as a way of discouraging toll shun-pikers.

No.

I would agree that at least the original remaining bridge of US 41 should remain free.  If they get a 600 million dollar grant it may help lower tolls, but you'll still see them on the bridge since the cost is so high.  It still would be nice for it to be 3 lanes each way from the beginning since traffic is significant already, and will just be growing.

[seicer]

There aren't the traffic counts there to justify a six-lane bridge or the continued maintenance of both US 41 bridges. The older of the US 41 bridges will be maintained as it is in better structural condition, and a four-lane structure will be provided for Interstate 69 traffic.

[silverback1065]

I think US highways aren't normally allowed to be tolled, unless there is a free alternative nearby. I don't think they will ever consider tolling 41.

[Brandon]

I think US highways aren't normally allowed to be tolled, unless there is a free alternative nearby. I don't think they will ever consider tolling 41.

US-51 between Rockford and South Beloit has entered the chat.

[westerninterloper]

I think US highways aren't normally allowed to be tolled, unless there is a free alternative nearby. I don't think they will ever consider tolling 41.

US-51 between Rockford and South Beloit has entered the chat.

Please also welcome US 13 in Virginia, US 301 in Maryland, US 74 in North Carolina, US 412 in Oklahoma, US 6 in Rhode Island.
Several other US highways have managed or tolled lanes as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_toll_roads_in_the_United_States

[I-55]

I think US highways aren't normally allowed to be tolled, unless there is a free alternative nearby. I don't think they will ever consider tolling 41.

US-51 between Rockford and South Beloit has entered the chat.

Please also welcome US 13 in Virginia, US 301 in Maryland, US 74 in North Carolina, US 412 in Oklahoma, US 6 in Rhode Island.
Several other US highways have managed or tolled lanes as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_toll_roads_in_the_United_States

- US 13 crosses the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (17.6 miles) which is far longer than any free bridge anywhere in the world and no alternative could be reasonably expected.
- US 301's old alignment is still maintained as a series of Delaware state routes, adequate to support the highway before the new road.
- US 74 remains free on its alignment through Monroe and the bypass is the toll road.
- US 412 has ALT 412 for the Cherokee Tpk section and US 64 for the Cimarron section as adequate alternates
- The Clairborne/Pell Newport Bridge is the only toll road in RI, which is not US 6. The truck tolls in the quoted article were removed after a federal ruling.

As for US 51, I am assuming IL-251 was the former alignment before the US route was routed onto the freeway (now I-39).

[silverback1065]

key phrase: UNLESS THERE IS A FREE ALTERNATIVE

[sprjus4]

There aren't the traffic counts there to justify a six-lane bridge or the continued maintenance of both US 41 bridges. The older of the US 41 bridges will be maintained as it is in better structural condition, and a four-lane structure will be provided for Interstate 69 traffic.

If a good amount of local traffic continues to use the original route, say 10,000 AADT or more, it could be a good idea to provide separation between the traffic lanes... putting it in a situation with two head on lanes with no shoulder / room for error may work traffic volume wise, but it is not safe. The likelihood of head-on fatal collisions increases from what is now basically 0.

The I-69 bridges do not need 6 lanes now, but they should definitely be built with wide shoulders to accommodate a third lane each way in the future.

[wriddle082]

The I-69 bridges do not need 6 lanes now, but they should definitely be built with wide shoulders to accommodate a third lane each way in the future.

Yes!  If in the distant future, I-69 is actually completed, and it serves its original intent by carrying truck traffic from border to border, the entire corridor will likely need at least six lanes.

[silverback1065]

Miss, Ark, and Louisiana will never build their portions 

[abqtraveler]

The I-69 bridges do not need 6 lanes now, but they should definitely be built with wide shoulders to accommodate a third lane each way in the future.

Yes!  If in the distant future, I-69 is actually completed, and it serves its original intent by carrying truck traffic from border to border, the entire corridor will likely need at least six lanes.

I would surmise if that were the case, they would simply build a "twin" structure alongside the first bridge and then rehabilitate/reconfigure the first bridge to carry additional lanes in one direction while the second span carries additional lanes in the other.

[rte66man]

I think US highways aren't normally allowed to be tolled, unless there is a free alternative nearby. I don't think they will ever consider tolling 41.

US-51 between Rockford and South Beloit has entered the chat.

Please also welcome US 13 in Virginia, US 301 in Maryland, US 74 in North Carolina, US 412 in Oklahoma, US 6 in Rhode Island.
Several other US highways have managed or tolled lanes as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_toll_roads_in_the_United_States

Reread the OP. "unless there is a free alternative". US412 as the Cherokee Turnpike has a free alternative in Scenic 412 (old 412). US412 as the Cimarron Turnpike has a free alternative as US64.

[I-55]

The I-69 bridges do not need 6 lanes now, but they should definitely be built with wide shoulders to accommodate a third lane each way in the future.

Yes!  If in the distant future, I-69 is actually completed, and it serves its original intent by carrying truck traffic from border to border, the entire corridor will likely need at least six lanes.

By the time the whole corridor is complete (50+ years????) it will need a complete rebuild anyway, might as well stay at 4 lanes for now. The bridge should be built with wide shoulders anyway to reflect modern interstate standards, and if really needed can be restriped down the line.

[seicer]

Based on a hypothetical theory that I-69 would be the sole corridor for shipping goods from Mexico to Canada, the highway would all need to be six lanes. But there are many other corridors (and rail) to select from, where traffic will generate and terminate. To believe that all truck traffic will be funneled on I-69 is based purely on hypotheticals. DOTs build based on existing and projected traffic data.

[RoadWarrior56]

IMO, if I-69 were ever completed as planned (and I am a skeptic that I-69 will EVER be constructed between Memphis and Texas), most of its length would not need to be widened to six lanes for many decades, if ever, for a very good reason - the proposed I-69 corridor would mostly be routed through rural under-populated areas with large and medium sized cities spaced relatively far apart.  Between Indianapolis in Houston, I-69 would serve Evansville, Memphis, and Shreveport.  And the only pair of cities within 200 miles of each other in this list would be Evansville and Indianapolis, which is a distance of over 150 miles.

[thefro]

IMO, if I-69 were ever completed as planned (and I am a skeptic that I-69 will EVER be constructed between Memphis and Texas), most of its length would not need to be widened to six lanes for many decades, if ever, for a very good reason - the proposed I-69 corridor would mostly be routed through rural under-populated areas with large and medium sized cities spaced relatively far apart.  Between Indianapolis in Houston, I-69 would serve Evansville, Memphis, and Shreveport.  And the only pair of cities within 200 miles of each other in this list would be Evansville and Indianapolis, which is a distance of over 150 miles.

Agreed.  There also will be a bunch of changes by the time I-69 could actually be completed (self-driving vehicles, electric chargers/hydrogen fuel availability determining routing for vehicles, more automatous manufacturing, population changes for various reasons).  Hard to predict what traffic patterns will actually look like.

[SEWIGuy]

The I-69 bridges do not need 6 lanes now, but they should definitely be built with wide shoulders to accommodate a third lane each way in the future.

Yes!  If in the distant future, I-69 is actually completed, and it serves its original intent by carrying truck traffic from border to border, the entire corridor will likely need at least six lanes.

Why do you think this? There are numerous interstates that carry such traffic now that definitely need three lanes in places, but they don't need to upgrade their entire corridor.