Louisville Bridge Project Changes

[ShawnP]

I agree with the Spaghetti junction changes. But not the east end bridge changes. I believe that I-265 will be well used and in Jefferson County already should be six laned.

http://www.fox41.com/story/13781973/top-leaders-want-to-cut

[hbelkins]

Do they realize how expensive it would be to add lanes to the East End Bridge at a later date? No because our sitting governor is a buffoon.

I still say there is no need to build a new downtown bridge at all; building the East End Bridge and then prohibiting through trucks inside the Watterson will help a great deal.

[ShawnP]

It sounds great to save money up front by not six laning the east end. In reality world in which we road geeks live in. It's stupid on stupid. Don't become a St. Louis I-70 fiasco Kentucky and Indiana.

[hbelkins]

This sounds like another application of what they are calling "practical design," which translated into plain English means, "underbuilding roads now to save a few dollars and thus dramatically increasing the eventual total cost when upgrades are necessary to convert the road into what it should have been built as in the first place."

[ShawnP]

Pratical design started with Pete Rahn in Missouri. I lived in Missouri and experienced it with chip seal on Interstate shoulders, pavement crumbling six months after being laid (I-29 around KCI, I-435 around KCI). He said he wanted Chevy road projects instead of Caddilacs. What Missouri got was FIAT's and now has millions spent and roads still needing help. My theory has always been do it and do it right for 30 years on new construction and 10 years on repave.

[tdindy88]

Curious, will there be any shunpiking going on in the future with traffic using I-265 around New Albany and then I-64 back to downtown to avoid the tolls, or US 31 if you know how to navagate the downtown streets back to I-65.

[ShawnP]

Downtown Louisville streets are already pretty crowded with new devlopements downtown (new areana, 4th Street live entertainment district). Shunpiking will happen but alot of time will be lost for shunpikers.

[hbelkins]

Downtown Louisville streets are already pretty crowded with new devlopements downtown (new areana, 4th Street live entertainment district). Shunpiking will happen but alot of time will be lost for shunpikers.

I'm not crazy about downtown Louisville, as I find the interstate access to be difficult. I have to go there twice a year for conferences (Galt House, Marriott or Hyatt) and hate, hate, hate it. I wouldn't get off the interstate unless I had business there.

OTOH, if I am downtown it's easier to take the Clark Bridge (US 31) across the river and if I want to go shopping, grab a bite to eat, etc.

[ShawnP]

Try Rocky's across the river in Indiana next time. Food is good and the view great of downtown Louisiville.

[Alps]

Downtown Louisville streets are already pretty crowded with new devlopements downtown (new areana, 4th Street live entertainment district). Shunpiking will happen but alot of time will be lost for shunpikers.

I'm not crazy about downtown Louisville, as I find the interstate access to be difficult. I have to go there twice a year for conferences (Galt House, Marriott or Hyatt) and hate, hate, hate it. I wouldn't get off the interstate unless I had business there.

OTOH, if I am downtown it's easier to take the Clark Bridge (US 31) across the river and if I want to go shopping, grab a bite to eat, etc.

Clark Bridge is real nice, especially viewed from the "Falls."

[ShawnP]

Clark Bridge getting a new paint job. Started by the Yum Center working it's way across the river. Let's hope it's better than the Kennedy fiasco.

[Revive 755]

Project changes may cause delay due to new environmental study needs:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110118/NEWS01/301190062

[ShawnP]

Saw that today in the CJ. Did the Governors and Mayor outsmart themselves on this one?

[hbelkins]

Saw that today in the CJ. Did the Governors and Mayor outsmart themselves on this one?

The stuff I scoop out of the cat litter box could outsmart KY's current governor.

[ShawnP]

You mean that lecturing one that loves to lecture people on how to drive and how to live.

[kharvey10]

Whatever Louisville does, they better not end up with a result that St. Louis is getting.

[ShawnP]

Right now it's pointing to a St. Louis fiasco only on a bigger scale.

[hbelkins]

What's going on in STL?

[kharvey10]

MoDOT and IDiOT building a new river bridge for I-70 - 4 lane bridge to boot (2 in each direction)

IMO, they would been better off spending that money fixing up the I-270 Chain of Rocks Bridge but IDiOT has treated their section of 270 (which they're on the hook for that bridge as well) like a p.o.s. as long as I can remember.

[ShawnP]

This might work but the Kennedy and Spaghetti Junction are in poor shape right now. The Kennedy is very rough and full of potholes.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110828/BUSINESS/308290007/Comments-favor-one-Ohio-River-bridge-now

[InterstateNG]

Can the East End bridge be built without tolls?

The article lists a majority are against tolls.  How does that camp propose to pay for the bridge?

[ShawnP]

Indiana it is said has a large amount of the Toll Road money set aside for the East End Bridge. Kentucky seems to have a bit of money set aside also and is planning some Garvee bonds that could help.

[tvketchum]

Now is past time to start the East End, as the Sherman Minton has well proved. Build it as six lanes and stripe it for four, if you want, but just build the damn thing before we have to argue about needing three ferry boats or four to cross the Ohio...

[ShawnP]

Tell it to those horrific, nasty, NIMBY's called River Fields.

[kharvey10]

I seen peeps use #shermageddon and #loubridge tags in Twitter right now and they're posting those phone numbers on Twitter

I can't find these such tweets right now but River Fields have a website http://www.riverfields.org/