ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS BEGIN DETAILED DESIGN OF TWO NEW BRIDGES
Aug. 2007 - Design teams for the Downtown and East End Bridges have begun
work on the aesthetic features that will characterize each span. This detailed
design work follows selection of the two final bridge types, which took place in
Dec. 2006.
Architects and bridge engineers are designing features such as tower shapes, roadway
and aesthetic lighting, railings, color schemes and other highly visible aspects
of the two bridges. Public opinion will be sought throughout this phase of
the design process, with stakeholder groups scheduled to meet with design team and
other Bridges Project personnel beginning in Aug. 2007. This detailed design
phase for the two river bridges is expected to be complete by 2010.
The Downtown Bridge Area Advisory Team (AAT) will meet Aug.14, from 6 to 8 p.m.,
at the Frazier International History Museum, 829 W. Main St. in Louisville, with
the East End group scheduled to convene Aug. 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the
Frazier. These advisory groups will provide feedback to designers to develop
distinctive bridges that fit well within their respective settings. Members
of the public who wish to be involved in the design process are invited to attend
the AAT meetings and will have an opportunity to provide their input as well.
“We enjoyed a productive working relationship with the public throughout the
bridge type selection process – now it’s time to call on our stakeholder
group partners, and the public at large, to help us bring the new bridge designs
to life,” said J.B. Williams, Section Design Manager for the Downtown Bridge.
“Our goal is to design a bridge the community will embrace as a true landmark.”
The project’s Historic Preservation Advisory Teams (HPAT), which also played
a role in selecting the final bridge types, will also meet periodically with the
design teams to offer advice and provide input from a historical perspective on
proposed design elements.
Meetings with the HPATs and AATs will continue to be held over the next several
months. Exhibits and handouts from many of these meetings will be made available
for public viewing and comment on the Bridges Project Web site (www.kyinbridges.com).
The current design phase will culminate with an anticipated public open house in
late 2007 for the East End Bridge and in early 2008 for the Downtown structure.
The Bridge Type Selection process concluded in Dec. 2006 with the Executive Bridge
Type Selection Committee choosing a three-tower cable-stayed bridge type for the
Downtown Bridge and a median-tower, cable-stayed center cable bridge type for the
East End Bridge. The selection ended an 18-month process that included extensive
public input and architectural and engineering analyses of numerous bridge type
alternatives for both bridge locations, and considerable public input.
The Ohio River Bridges Project addresses the long-term, cross-river transportation
needs in the Louisville-Southern Indiana region. In 2003, the Federal Highway
Administration, Indiana Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation
Cabinet agreed that the most 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 would best achieve the transportation
needs with the least amount of impact on environmental resources and the communities.