New Design Details Revealed For Downtown Bridge
Features allow community to see bridge "in a whole new light"
April, 2008 - After months of community input, design team members for the
Ohio River Bridges Project unveiled the recommended aesthetic design elements for
the new Downtown Bridge. The recommendations were presented to the public at April
open houses in Jeffersonville and Louisville.
See East End Bridge aesthetic design.
"Based on the feedback we've received from the public, we really feel like
we've come up with some fine visual detailing that not only complements the bridge
type, but its urban environment as well," says Matt Bullock, Interim Bridges
Project Manager for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The recommended lighting emphasizes the total bridge form with accent on the towers
and piers, the deck level and the top cable. The view above is from the Kentucky
approach.
The lighting design for the new Downtown Bridge will emphasize the total bridge
form, highlighting the span's three towers and piers as well as the deck level and
the top bridge support cable. "The simulated night views of the illuminated
bridge are particularly stunning and literally allow the community to see the bridge
in a whole new light," says Paul Boone, Bridges Project manager for the Indiana
Department of Transportation. "We like how the lighting draws attention to
the vertical and horizontal elements of the bridge. It complements the overall theme
of the bridge, which is very strong and angular." That angular theme is reflected
in various bridge elements including the railings, sign structures and roadway lighting.
Given a choice of light grey or white, the recommendation, based on advisory team
feedback, is that the structural elements of the bridge should be light grey in
color. The bridge towers, steel, cable, railings, light fixtures and sign structures
will all be light grey.
The aesthetic design recommendations follow a series of workshops intended to gather
input from members of the Historic Preservation Advisory Team (HPAT) and the Area
Advisory Team (AAT). The HPAT consists of representatives from Kentucky and Indiana
with a focus on the historic qualities and features of the project area. The AAT
consists of representatives from area neighborhoods and various organizations with
specific needs of their communities in mind. The groups cast votes and commented
on the various aesthetic options. That input was carefully considered by the team
of bridge design and architectural experts and helped guide the final recommendations.
Now that public input for the bridge aesthetics is complete, the project enters
the final structural-engineering phase for both bridges.
The Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project addresses long-term,
cross-river transportation needs for the region. In 2003, 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 rebuild
the Kennedy Interchange in downtown Louisville and construct two new bridges - one
in downtown, the other in the East End. Of a variety of options studied, the alternatives
selected best achieve the transportation needs with the least amount of impact on
environmental resources and the communities. The estimated cost of the entire project
is $4.1 billion (which takes into account inflation). The Bridges Project is currently
in the design phase with construction scheduled to be complete by 2024.