GEOTECHNICAL SURVEY WORK SCHEDULED TO
CONTINUE IN LATE MARCH
Drill Work Along I-64 and I-65 May Have Limited Traffic Impact
LOUISVILLE, KY – (March 21, 2006) – Geotechnical survey work initiated last fall is resuming this week with crews scheduled to conduct drilling to allow project engineers to obtain soil samples. The samples collected will provide data as teams prepare for rebuilding of sections of the Kennedy Interchange, as part of the Ohio River Bridges Project. The survey work will last approximately seven months and is currently scheduled to be completed in the fall.
The work will take place along I-65 from East Liberty Street to the Kennedy Bridge and along I-64 from the Payne Street overpass to the Clark Memorial Bridge. Some drilling will take place at the Frankfort Avenue/Beargrass Creek section along I-71.
Timing of the work will usually coincide with decreased traffic volumes to minimize inconveniences to road travelers. Some work may be conducted during peak traffic hours due to the time-sensitive nature of the surveying process. Project managers predict there will be shoulder closings to enable the crews to complete the work.
Project managers are taking measures to limit traffic delays, though most of the work will take place away from the actual roadway, on ramp embankments and closer to street level at city street overpasses.
The drilling process will enable project engineers to obtain soil samples for testing to determine general engineering characteristics, such as soil classification and moisture content. The testing will also be utilized for the design of bridge and retaining wall foundations within the proposed improvements.
There will be approximately 300 borings, or holes, drilled during this phase. These borings will be about six to eight inches in diameter. A few of the borings will drill to the rock line, at depths up to 110 feet. Other borings will sample the upper soil layers, within approximately 25 feet of the surface or more. Once data is collected, the holes will be properly backfilled.
The firm Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott and May Engineers, Inc. will be conducting the survey work with a number of large yellow and white drill rigs – which can be identified on the roadside with vertically protracted drill mechanisms over the area of work.
Motorists will be alerted of the work by standard orange traffic cones, signage
and possibly crew personnel managing traffic, if necessary. Drivers are advised to be prepared for changes in traffic patterns and to watch for road crews and machinery.
An archeological survey team will work in tandem with geotechnical crews to collect archeological data to assess the possible existence of deeply buried archeological sites within the project area. Archeology teams will work in the same area gathering cultural materials which will then be bagged and submitted for cleaning, testing, analysis, cataloging, and eventually photographing. On some occasions, the archeology teams will operate independently of the drill crews. It is predicted that a small sample of historic artifacts will be collected during the survey period. The results will be documented in a detailed written report to be filed and reviewed as part of the ongoing study of the area.
The Kennedy Interchange (Spaghetti Junction) Approach is part of the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project (LSIORBP). 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 project information, go to www.kyinbridges.com.
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