East End Bridge Design Team Polls Joint AAT/RAC Group
November 2005 -- The Area Advisory Teams (AAT) for the Kentucky East End bridge approach (Section 4) and the Indiana East End bridge approach (Section 6), and Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) met on Thursday, November 17 in Jeffersonville to discuss bridge concepts being considered for the East End Bridge portion of the project. The presentation of concepts are part of Step Two in the four-step Bridge Type Selection Process.
Of the four types of bridges being considered for the East End Bridge, the suspension bridge was eliminated mainly due the fact that it was not an applicable choice, as it is not appropriate for the East End Bridge span widths, and is not a cost-effective option. The remaining options still include the cable-stayed bridge, the arch bridge and the truss bridge.
After a review of the East End Bridge design parameters and guidelines, the project team conducted a polling session – in which each AAT and RAC member had a key pad and indicated their level of satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with options on the screen. For example, when a rendering of a bridge design was displayed on the screen, AAT and RAC members were asked to offer their opinion of the design by pressing a number between one and ten, one being the lowest score and ten being the highest.
After the polling process, Ted Grossardt led a discussion about why people preferred one concept over another. AAT and RAC members were vocal and their comments illustrated the low and high scores given to the bridge designs. The group expressed concerns about the appearance of a boxier, obtrusive bridge design. The more streamlined, less visible designs seemed to score higher with positive comments.
Miguel Rosales provided a technical overview of the bridge designs and answered questions about the designs being presented. He discussed the rationale for specific bridge features, reviewed aesthetic guidelines and explained to the group the many comments received in public meetings about the bridge designs.
Grossardt then returned to the stage to conduct a second round of polling of the same 15 bridge concepts – again allowing AAT and RAC members to assess the design concepts. Following this meeting and the upcoming open houses, the design team will take public feedback into account, along with other information like cost, maintenance and constructability, and develop six bridge type alternatives.
The meeting concluded with the announcement of upcoming open houses for Section 2, on Tuesday, November 29 at the Frazier Historical Museum in Louisville, and on Thursday, December 1 at the 300 Spring Building in Jeffersonville.