Louisville Bridges Project/Spagehtti Junction rebuild

[ShawnP]

More updates..........

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2011306260063

[Revive 755]

There's a decent collection of maps and images for the scaled down design on the project website now in a large pdf file:
http://www.kyinbridges.com/pdfs/MeetingSummaries/6-27-11-public-meeting3.pdf

On Page 23/23, the design for the Port Road/265 interchange stinks; INDOT should go with a more standard trumpet over the weaving design presented.

[ShawnP]

You aint lyin on that last slide. Throw that thing in the Ohio and start again.

[Stephane Dumas]

I wondered by curiosity why the pedestrian/bike path was dropped for the 2011 proposed Kennedy bridge?

[hbelkins]

I wondered by curiosity why the pedestrian/bike path was dropped for the 2011 proposed Kennedy bridge?

Economics and duplication of services. The old Big Four railroad bridge upstream is already in the process of being converted to a pedestrian bridge.

[vtk]

I think it's deceptive how they removed a lane in a bunch of places, saying the lane can be "accommodated" in the future.  How likely is that to every actually happen, considering doing so would sacrifice a breakdown lane?  I know it's been done in other places, but surely there would be resistance to the reduction in safety, and then people would say "they should have built the thing wider to begin with"...

[ShawnP]

The approach ramp from Kentucky is done and plans have come along finally for the Indiana side. The bridge does need some work also.

[ShawnP]

Thought about this today in relation to tolls. In Kentucky once the bond is paid off you have to take the tolls off. In Indiana you can charge tolls indefinately. How are they going to work this with the new bridges being in both states?

[vtk]

Thought about this today in relation to tolls. In Kentucky once the bond is paid off you have to take the tolls off. In Indiana you can charge tolls indefinately. How are they going to work this with the new bridges being in both states?

The river itself is entirely in Kentucky.  I think I read somewhere that, because of this, Kentucky is paying for 75% of the project, but that could be wrong.  What may be more important is how the toll revenues are divided.  Hypothetically, if it's a $2.00 toll and 75% of that goes to Kentucky, then when the bonds are paid off, Kentucky's portion of the toll should go away, leaving just a 50¢ toll that goes entirely to Indiana.  At least, that's what would make sense to me.

[ShawnP]

Unless it's written down and divided before the tolling starts. This could cause a headache for the future generations. I could see future Indiana politicians trying to sell Kentucky's share for $$$.

[hbelkins]

This could be why they are setting up a special bridge authority.

[ShawnP]

I'm thinking this might be the flaw in the slaw that could stop this project.

[ShawnP]

Big Four update.........for those not familar with Louisville the Big Four is a old adbandoned railroad bridge (60's ?). It's right downtown Louisville just east of both the Kennedy and the new bridge. Kentucky just completed it's ramp up to the bridge and Ky and In have come up with money for the bridge deck and a ramp on the Indiana side.

http://www.whas.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=283307%3Ffeed%3D283307&article=8798810