I-265 Ohio River Bridge

[hbelkins]

Not only is 265 at 55mph, the State Police operate a well known speed trap on a rural stretch of I-64 a few miles east of New Albany.

Why is ISP operating in Kentucky? 

[theline]

They have it signed as a "Hoosier Helper Patrol Zone" whatever the hell that is supposed to mean, but the reality is that it is just a fleecing operation.

That means they have people on patrol to aid stranded motorists with broken down vehicles.  InDOT does the same along the Borman Expressway up this way.

Yep, I can testify that the Hoosier Helper Patrol is a great thing. They helped me a few years back when I got a flat tire on the Borman. I couldn't get the lug nuts to budge, but the Hoosier Helper came to my rescue free of charge. In that area at least, they are sponsored by State Farm. I don't think taxpayer dollars are involved.

[silverback1065]

They have it signed as a "Hoosier Helper Patrol Zone" whatever the hell that is supposed to mean, but the reality is that it is just a fleecing operation.

That means they have people on patrol to aid stranded motorists with broken down vehicles.  InDOT does the same along the Borman Expressway up this way.

Yep, I can testify that the Hoosier Helper Patrol is a great thing. They helped me a few years back when I got a flat tire on the Borman. I couldn't get the lug nuts to budge, but the Hoosier Helper came to my rescue free of charge. In that area at least, they are sponsored by State Farm. I don't think taxpayer dollars are involved.

they're also sponsored by state farm down here in indy.

[seicer]

Did Kentucky switch to longitudinal tinning (parallel grooving)? I noticed they switched the abutment transition from concrete pavement to the bridge for their portion of I-265.

[tidecat]

Did Kentucky switch to longitudinal tinning (parallel grooving)? I noticed they switched the abutment transition from concrete pavement to the bridge for their portion of I-265.

Does Indiana use that? Because INDOT coordinated the entire East End project.


iPhone .

[mvak36]

Video of the new opened section (as seen from a driver's point of view). Courtesy of WLKY. (The horn is pretty f'ing annoying though, so might be better to watch on mute)

[silverback1065]

Did Kentucky switch to longitudinal tinning (parallel grooving)? I noticed they switched the abutment transition from concrete pavement to the bridge for their portion of I-265.

Does Indiana use that? Because INDOT coordinated the entire East End project.


iPhone .

indot does that, because people get angry about the noise. i like the noise

[TR69]

I had to work the day the Lewis and Clark bridge opened, but I was able to drive it the following day. I also went for a run along the bike/pedestrian path that clings to the downstream side of the bridge. It was really cool -- literally! It was 23 degrees at the time with a very brisk north breeze. I missed a few photo opportunities on my run that I will go back to get when the weather is friendlier.

(apologies for the long post -- I'm sure I'm breaking some rule(s) of posting etiquette)

Approaching US 42 northbound in KY.


Toll bridge coming up! Still KY 841 on this date, December 19, 2016. Tolls will begin December 30, 2016.


Approaching the tunnel


Approaching the Ohio River from Kentucky. International Drive is just a local road that serves a business park in Jeffersonville, Indiana.


The stretch of road has green mile markers in the median. I was happy to see that the Kentucky mile markers started correctly on the Indiana shore, not in the middle of the river.


In Jeffersonville, Indiana. The Indiana side is still signed as IN 265, and the KY side is still signed as KY 841. December 19, 2016. I can certainly understand the use of Louisville as a control city, especially since this is a local road. However, at the same time, this local road is coming out of a large business/industrial park, so I could also see Lexington and Cincinnati being used too.


The most awesome part of the bridge, to me, is that they included a bike/ped path on the downstream side of the bridge. This is at the end on the Kentucky side. The trail begins at the last Indiana exit and ends at River Road in Louisville.


I love that they used shields instead of spelling out "I-64", etc.  Welcome to Kentucky -- which you actually entered a couple of miles back. This photo, and all of the following photos, was taken during my run on the bike/ped path.


On the Indiana side. The bike/ped trail is on the right.


Still only 55 mph on both sides of the river. December 19, 2016.


Still IN 265. December 19, 2016.


IN 265 mile marker. These mile markers, even though they're for the highway, are useful to measure the distance you walk/run/bike on the bike/ped trail that runs alongside.

[silverback1065]

it seems wasteful for them to sign this as the state roads.  they're going to approve the interstate designation, why not just sign it as such? 

[oscar]

it seems wasteful for them to sign this as the state roads.  they're going to approve the interstate designation, why not just sign it as such? 

Would that complicate getting AASHTO approval, if that hasn't been obtained yet? IIRC, applicants for such approval are normally asked to attest that the responsible state hasn't "jumped the gun" on signing the new highway as an Interstate or U.S. route.  See http://route.transportation.org/Documents/USRN%20APPLICATION/USRNApplicationAugust_2016_Updated.docx (top of p. 3). Not that such gun-jumping has never happened, but it seems not to be good form.

[bob7374]

it seems wasteful for them to sign this as the state roads.  they're going to approve the interstate designation, why not just sign it as such? 

Would that complicate getting AASHTO approval, if that hasn't been obtained yet? IIRC, applicants for such approval are normally asked to attest that the responsible state hasn't "jumped the gun" on signing the new highway as an Interstate or U.S. route.  See http://route.transportation.org/Documents/USRN%20APPLICATION/USRNApplicationAugust_2016_Updated.docx (top of p. 3). Not that such gun-jumping has never happened, but it seems not to be good form.

KY and IN could have coordinated an application to AASHTO before the bridge was open asking for an I-265 designation. This would have prevented the need to replace the new signs.

Another idea they apparently did not consider is that the MUTCD would prefer loop routes to have one set of mileposts and exit numbers, regardless of crossing state lines. Given that this was a split route each state having its own set of numbers made sense, but now guidelines would suggest that the numbers continue from KY into IN which would require the latter to spend money on changing the exit numbers on the new signs (as well as the older ones) also.

[seicer]

Interesting. Clearview signage used in both states except for "International Drive," which looks to be an INDOT installation.

[mvak36]

Interesting. Clearview signage used in both states except for "International Drive," which looks to be an INDOT installation.

The brown sign they unveiled with the bridge name is also not in Clearview. Not sure if they've mounted it yet.

[mvak36]

they're probably going to name it after some politician or something.

Thankfully, I was wrong about this. I love the new name for the bridge.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Google maps now shows the road as open and has it marked as I-265.

[Rothman]

it seems wasteful for them to sign this as the state roads.  they're going to approve the interstate designation, why not just sign it as such? 

Would that complicate getting AASHTO approval, if that hasn't been obtained yet?

See I-181/I-26 in Tennessee.

[TR69]

they're probably going to name it after some politician or something.

Thankfully, I was wrong about this. I love the new name for the bridge.

I like the new name too, although some feel that it is too similar to the Clark Memorial Bridge downtown. Granted, the bridges are named after different Clarks, but few people from out of town would know that. The nice thing about the name is that Lewis and Clark have ties to both Indiana and Kentucky, just like the bridge does. Same thing with the Lincoln Bridge downtown.

I wonder how many cities have two separate bridges named after brothers/siblings/members of the same nuclear family?

[tdindy88]

Isn't the US 31 bridge formally also known as the Second Street Bridge? Maybe that name might get more use to differentiate it with the new Lewis and Clark Bridge.

Speaking of names, what the hell is International Drive (sounds like it should be in Orlando.) Google Maps shows the road as Old Salem Road, which I assume is the name in some places. I'm guessing it has something to do with the industrial parks north of Jeffersonville but still it has to be a new name even for those who have lived in that area.

And finally, are there any signs that indicate the presence of Utica? Given that town will be accessed via this highway I thought at least a supplemental sign would be appropriate. I'll likely be on these bridges after the New Year's which means of course I'll be paying for it later on.

[silverback1065]

Isn't the US 31 bridge formally also known as the Second Street Bridge? Maybe that name might get more use to differentiate it with the new Lewis and Clark Bridge.

Speaking of names, what the hell is International Drive (sounds like it should be in Orlando.) Google Maps shows the road as Old Salem Road, which I assume is the name in some places. I'm guessing it has something to do with the industrial parks north of Jeffersonville but still it has to be a new name even for those who have lived in that area.

And finally, are there any signs that indicate the presence of Utica? Given that town will be accessed via this highway I thought at least a supplemental sign would be appropriate. I'll likely be on these bridges after the New Year's which means of course I'll be paying for it later on.

i have no idea, maybe they renamed old salem road?

[NWI_Irish96]

Isn't the US 31 bridge formally also known as the Second Street Bridge? Maybe that name might get more use to differentiate it with the new Lewis and Clark Bridge.

Speaking of names, what the hell is International Drive (sounds like it should be in Orlando.) Google Maps shows the road as Old Salem Road, which I assume is the name in some places. I'm guessing it has something to do with the industrial parks north of Jeffersonville but still it has to be a new name even for those who have lived in that area.

And finally, are there any signs that indicate the presence of Utica? Given that town will be accessed via this highway I thought at least a supplemental sign would be appropriate. I'll likely be on these bridges after the New Year's which means of course I'll be paying for it later on.

The previously existing Old Salem Road between Utica and 265 is a very narrow, 2-lane road in poor shape.  Access to that road, and thus Utica, from this exit, is not going to exist until the road can be improved.  My guess is that once this happens, Utica will be added to the signs.

Apparently International Drive is the name of the new section of road between this exit and IN 62.  I drove this road the first night the bridge was open and ended up at the light on 62 right by Amazon. 

[tidecat]

Speaking of names, what the hell is International Drive (sounds like it should be in Orlando.)

I'm actually reading this post while on International Drive in Orlando.

There is also one in Louisville that has many common building numbers with the one in Orlando.



iPhone .

[westerninterloper]

they're probably going to name it after some politician or something.

Thankfully, I was wrong about this. I love the new name for the bridge.

Could have been even worse, with some kind of corporate sponsor like "The Convenience Stores of Speedway's Week-Old Taquito Ohio River Crossing"

[TR69]

Isn't the US 31 bridge formally also known as the Second Street Bridge? Maybe that name might get more use to differentiate it with the new Lewis and Clark Bridge.

Speaking of names, what the hell is International Drive (sounds like it should be in Orlando.) Google Maps shows the road as Old Salem Road, which I assume is the name in some places. I'm guessing it has something to do with the industrial parks north of Jeffersonville but still it has to be a new name even for those who have lived in that area.

And finally, are there any signs that indicate the presence of Utica? Given that town will be accessed via this highway I thought at least a supplemental sign would be appropriate. I'll likely be on these bridges after the New Year's which means of course I'll be paying for it later on.

From what I can tell, I think the official name for the US31 bridge downtown is the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge. I've lived here for about 12 years and in my experience people call it either the "Clark Memorial" or the "Second Street" Bridge. Those two terms are just about evenly used...maybe Clark Memorial is just a bit more common.

International Drive is just a local road that serves a business park in Jeffersonville, Indiana. It appears to be in place of what GM shows as Old Salem Road (I'm not entirely familiar with that neighborhood, so someone can correct me if I'm wrong).

No signs heralding Utica yet. However, Old Salem Road south of 265 is currently closed for reconstruction. The road will more than double in width, going from 14 feet total to two 11-foot lanes and two 4-foot paved shoulders on either side with room for cyclists. The construction isn't expected to be completed until late 2017, which Uticans are none too pleased about. Perhaps once the construction is over, Utica will get its due. It will also be interesting to see what that stretch of road will be named.

[hbelkins]

I drove the new bridge three times today -- twice from Kentucky into Indiana, and once from Indiana back to Kentucky.

What is signed "International Drive" in Highway Gothic on the Kentucky side of the bridge is apparently signed "River Ridge" in Clearview in Indiana.

There's a sign placement goof going west on the Indiana side -- There's a sign listing mileages for River Ridge, I-65 and I-64. Problem is, the sign is located beyond the River Ridge exit.

Indiana went overboard on the roundabouts at the IN 62 exit. I know the Hoosiers love their roundabouts, but gee whiz. On my first foray across the bridge, I exited at IN 62 and went east before I turned around to head back across into Kentucky. I had to wait quite awhile at the first roundabout (the ramp to IN 265/IN 62 west) because of the heavy traffic heading east on old 62 getting on 265 toward I-65.

Indiana had put down brine on the bridge, as it seems to do every bridge on major routes.

[seicer]

River Ridge is the name of the massive redevelopment of the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant north of I-265. I am unsure of any International Drive, unless its a new road that's under construction.