Bridge type selection begins for new Downtown and East End Bridges
September Open Houses Seek Community Input
Louisville, KY (September 14, 2005) – The first step is underway in the process
that will determine what two new bridges over the Ohio River will look like, and
the public is being asked for its opinions. The first set of open houses -- to discuss
design guidelines for the New Downtown Bridge, specifically -- will be held Sept.
20 in Jeffersonville and Sept. 22 in Louisville. (See the following fact sheet for
more details.)
The Ohio River Bridges Project also will result in a bridge in the east end, and
open houses to discuss the design of that bridge are planned for Oct. 18 and 20.
Specific locations for the meetings are yet to be determined, but they will be held
in the vicinity of the bridge location on each side of the river, one in Prospect
and another in Utica, Ind.
The one-year Bridge Type Selection Process consists of four steps, which include
numerous opportunities for community input. During each stage of the process, the
design teams will present their work for comments at public meetings and at meetings
with a Regional Advisory Committee as well as groups of stakeholders on both sides
of the river called Area Advisory Teams.
The general public is encouraged to comment throughout the Bridge Type Selection
Process at the various public meetings, on written comment forms submitted to the
project office or through the on-line comment form on the project’s Web site (www.kyinbridges.com).
The design teams will use public feedback throughout the process in an effort to
develop bridge designs that are consistent with the communities’ character and wishes.
Taking into consideration public input, cost and engineering feasibility, an executive
oversight committee with bi-state representation will ultimately select the final
designs.
“We recognize that this project is a tremendous investment in the transportation
infrastructure, economic development and the riverfront culture of the surrounding
cities. Our goal is that this project will improve all of those elements and contribute
positively to this vibrant, growing community,” said Ed Cox, Indiana Department
of Transportation Project Manager for the Ohio River Bridges Project.
“The process that has been laid out to design the two new bridges was prepared with
the goal of maximizing our public involvement opportunities. We want the end product
to be bridges the community can take pride in. This project isn’t a success unless
the community views it as a success,” commented Bart Bryant, Acting Project Manager
of the Ohio River Bridges Project for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The four steps will conclude with the completion of the following milestones for
each bridge: design guidelines, general bridge concepts, detailed bridge alternatives
and selected bridge types. Public comments received during each of these steps will
help shape each of these elements.
The result of the four-step process will be detailed architectural renderings of
the selected bridge in each location. The renderings will be unique renderings created
with the specific context in mind, whether it is the urban environment of downtown
Louisville and Jeffersonville or the more rural, residential environment of eastern
Metro Louisville and Utica, Ind. The drawings also will illustrate specific aesthetic
elements like lighting, tower heights, barrier design and the look of the bicycle
and pedestrian path planned for each bridge.
All concepts and alternatives presented to the public for comment will meet engineering
safety standards, design parameters such as span length and vertical clearance,
and cost requirements.
The overall cost of the project in year-of-expenditure dollars is $2.46 billion,
with the New Downtown Bridge and East End Bridge estimated to cost $239 million
and $261 million, respectively.
The Bridge Type Selection Process is expected to be completed for both bridges in
the summer of 2006. At that point, detailed design and final engineering will begin,
with completion estimated in 2008.
The downtown bridge design team is led by Michael Baker Jr., Inc., and the east
end team is led by Parsons Brinkerhoff Quade and Douglas. Each of the teams will
work with the approach designers on each side of the river to ensure that the approaches
and bridge structures are coordinated.
The two bridge design teams, in addition to the other four section design teams,
are managed by Community Transportation Solutions, the General Engineering Consultant
(CTS-GEC). All work on the project is directed by the Bi-State Management Team,
consisting of representatives from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the Indiana
Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.
In addition to building a New Downtown Bridge and East End Bridge, the Ohio River
Bridges Project includes rebuilding the Kennedy Interchange and Jeffersonville I-65
approach and constructing the East End Bridge approaches in Utica, Ind. And Eastern
Metro Louisville.
The Ohio River Bridges Project addresses the long-term, cross-river transportation
needs in the Louisville-Southern Indiana region. The Federal Highway Administration,
Indiana Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet agreed
that the only feasible way to meet cross-river transportation needs was to construct
two new bridges and rebuild the Kennedy Interchange. Of a variety of options studied,
the alternative selected met transportation needs with the least amount of impact
on environmental resources and communities.
The Bridges Project, currently in the design phase, is tentatively scheduled for
completion in 2020. For more information, visit the LSIORBP Web site, at
www.kyinbridges.com.