Balloon testing to show full-scale elevation of Kentucky East End Bridge approach
Louisville, KY – (March 2, 2005) – Speculation about the height of the Kentucky
East End Bridge Approach for the Ohio River Bridges Project, and its effect on the
area’s visual environment, will be addressed in early March, when those interested
will be able to see for themselves how high the approach will be.
H.W. Lochner, Inc., the engineering firm overseeing design work on the Kentucky
East End Bridge Approach, will conduct balloon testing March 8 and 9 north of the
KY 841/US 42 interchange in Prospect. Anywhere from eight to 12 oversized balloons
will be elevated to the anticipated height of the planned structure along the approach
route. Engineers, the Kentucky East End Area Advisory Team (AAT), a public involvement
group representing the local community, the Historic Preservation Advisory Team
(HPAT), which oversees historic preservation efforts, and the public will observe
the testing and assess its influence on further design plans.
“Balloon testing gives the design team and the people living near the bridge route
a unique perspective on what this project will look like and how it might impact
the physical environment,” said Jerry Leslie, Lochner’s project manager for the
East End Approach. “AAT members will have the opportunity to give us feedback from
an aesthetic standpoint, which will help us develop a design that works best in
that environment.”
The balloon testing will be explained at a meeting March 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the
Harrod’s Creek Fire Department, 8905 U.S. Hwy. 42. Members of the AAT, Historic
Preservation Advisory Team (HPAT), and the public are invited. Suggested locations
for public viewing of the balloons will be provided during the meeting.
The balloons will be positioned at daybreak on March 8 and 9 and a Lochner official
will be present to answer questions during and after the viewing. Still photos of
the event will be used to determine what measures are needed to visually screen
the bridge approach from historic sites, as stipulated in the federal Memorandum
of Agreement (MOA), which is part of the project. Photography will also be used
to create computer-generated renderings of the structure from various observation
points. The balloons will remain in place until the photography is completed on
both days.
In the event of inclement weather, balloon testing will take place March 10 and
11. Leslie said another balloon testing for the Kentucky East End Bridge Approach
will probably be scheduled for late spring or early summer.
The Kentucky East End AAT, one of four community groups corresponding to each of
the four bridge approaches, meets with the appropriate project team and provides
feedback on design and aesthetic plans with the specific needs of their communities
in mind. AAT members include environmental organizations, government agencies, neighborhood
associations and preservation groups. The HPAT ensures that the project design respects
historic qualities, including historic preservation plans and design details.
The East End Bridge is part of the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges
Project (LSIORBP). The project also consists of a new downtown span just east of
the Kennedy Bridge, and a rebuild of the Kennedy Interchange (Spaghetti Junction)
in downtown Louisville.
The Bridges Project, currently in the design phase, is tentatively scheduled for
completion in 2020.
For more information, residents or businesses can visit the LSIORBP Web site, at
www.kyinbridges.com; or contact Richard Cary-Brown, Community Transportation Solutions,
502/394-3840, or Jerry Leslie, H.W. Lochner, Inc., 859/224-4476,
.