Kennedy Interchange Design Team Presents Spaghetti Junction Studies, Initial Design Plans at October Meetings
The Kennedy Interchange design studies were presented to the public in October 2005.
October 2005 – Local commuters wondering how the rebuild of Spaghetti Junction will affect their community and environment – and how those effects might be mitigated - got their answers in October 2005. Project engineers managing design work in the area hosted a meeting of the Kennedy Interchange Area Advisory Team (AAT) on Oct. 25 and an open house on October 27. Attendees of the open house and AAT meeting had an opportunity to review preliminary interchange plans and design options being considered for:
• improving access to and from nearby streets, such as Mellwood and Story Avenues
• mitigating impacts to Waterfront Park and area neighborhoods such as Butchertown and Phoenix Hill
• preserving historic buildings and architectural characteristics emblematic of the area
Spaghetti Junction – The reconfiguration of the Kennedy Interchange (or Spaghetti Junction as it is popularly known) calls for the reworking of traffic features, such as lanes and exits, in order to reduce the "weaving" of traffic between interstates and accommodate current and future capacity needs. These changes will reduce congestion and delays and improve safety.
Waterfront Park – The project's environmental impact statement, which calls for the reworking of traffic lanes in Spaghetti Junction, has some concerned about an imposing concrete-and-steel "canopy" spreading over the Great Lawn. The design alternative selected will reduce the impact to Waterfront Park by eliminating exit ramps, including at Third Street, and modifying access points in the downtown area.
Mellwood/Story Avenue Study – This study was called for in the Memorandum of Agreement from the project’s Record of Decision. It determined that:
• it is feasible to turn Mellwood and Story Avenues into two-way streets – Mellwood would become a four-lane street if the two-way option is utilized
• building a single, full interchange at Mellwood Avenue and I-64 to replace the current "split-diamond" interchange, which has ramps on both Story and Mellwood also is feasible
A more detailed environmental investigation is required if a decision is made to further advance this alternative.
Accelerated I-65 Construction Study – Scheduled maintenance on I-65 has prompted the upcoming reconstruction of five freeway overpasses on a stretch of I-65 between Broadway and Liberty. The work, which could begin in 2006, is expected to take approximately 24 months.
Bikeway Study – In response to community feedback, options for improving connectivity among existing and planned bikeway facilities in the Kennedy Interchange area are being studied. Engineers are locating existing bikeway facilities in the area, identifying future planned bike facilities and developing alternatives to enhance the bikeways network.
Historic Preservation Plans – Recommendations in the project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement called for Witherspoon to be extended and to parallel I-64, which would be on the outskirts of the historic Butchertown neighborhood. An alternate Witherspoon route, proposed in the Immediate Needs Report, would place Witherspoon back in the neighborhood grid. The street would coincide with the current alignment of Geiger Street, where it would pass through the Butchertown Historic District.