Kentucky Armory Club

This is going to be fun

New downtown bridge comes with major closure of ramp
http://www.wave3.com/story/22614259/new ... re-of-ramp

Why do we need another downtown bridge when the 3 we have seem to be doing the job? Wouldn't those resources be better utilized getting the I-265 bridges built and functioning? If they were completed, a lot of the interstate truck traffic congesting our downtown interchanges could be shunted off and around the city, making things safer for everyone involved.

I'm sorry, I forgot, things that make sense are never looked upon favorably.

The three can't continue to do the job. Shutting one down for repairs on one has already shown everyone what a mess it would be. If it were up to me, we could just blow the bridges and let traffic go around or give Louisville to Indiana .

Cincinnati is facing similar problems on bridges and rebuilding the Brent Spence bridge is under development. Its hard to drop a new bridge in a major metropolitan area because of all the human and environmental factors to consider. The old days of "we don't care who or what we do or take" are gone.

As for the closures/problems, you aint seen nuttin yet.

Here is a recent article if you don't believe me. Funny though, adding a 5 or 10 cent addition to the gas tax would make a huge difference in improving the infrastructure of the nature but it won't get passed because of stigma of raising taxes. And at 5 cents a gallon, a 10 gallon purchase is only 50 cents more.

http://www.betterroads.com/25-percent-o ... c669bc384e&*" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Doing the 265 bridge first would lessen the traffic by 1/4-1/3 maybe and make the new downtown one easier and safer and probably faster. Their lack of logic is stupid...

niceguyr6 wrote:Doing the 265 bridge first would lessen the traffic by 1/4-1/3 maybe and make the new downtown one easier and safer and probably faster. Their lack of logic is stupid...

Just an FYI, there is not much difference in the two. The schedule shows the new downtown crossing bridge as being open in April 2016. Following that, work will begin on the existing Kennedy Bridge.

The completion date for the downtown project as a whole is December 2016.

The East end project completion date is October 2016.

So, not so stupid, just pays to be informed and how you look at it. Project is design-build one meaning that a consultant-contractor team has lots of flexibility.

My bet is on completion in April 2021

3 years?!?! It will NEVER happen in that time! They looked at a 50 year old crack for a year and plan to build multiple bridges in 3 years. I'll believe it when I see it...haha I'm far from an authority on this. Just spouting off about it. I really do hope I'm wrong. As for cost, take it out of the people's pockets that are using it. Put a toll on them...

WLJ wrote:My bet is on completion in April 2021

I'm a optimist I'll say mid 2020...haha

That will never go away. Ask the people in Houston who have paid for their toll-road system 7 times over, now.

Wyldman wrote:That will never go away. Ask the people in Houston who have paid for their toll-road system 7 times over, now.

I agree. They were in Richmond Va everywhere while I was there. IF,,,they leave tax increases alone I'm cool with tolls. The toll roads were nice. The ones that use them, should be the ones to use them.

niceguyr6 wrote:

WLJ wrote:My bet is on completion in April 2021

I'm a optimist I'll say mid 2020...haha

Pick a month within 2020, I already have mine picked.

All this affects you'ns in Louisville the most and I keep hearing comments from residents there that really reflect they know very little about the project or its timeline. I wonder if they have done alot of advertising or public info on the project to get the word out. It is the most expensive road project ever planned in Kentucky and there will be a toll on the bridges.

Dave1965 wrote:The three can't continue to do the job. Shutting one down for repairs on one has already shown everyone what a mess it would be. If it were up to me, we could just blow the bridges and let traffic go around or give Louisville to Indiana .

Cincinnati is facing similar problems on bridges and rebuilding the Brent Spence bridge is under development. Its hard to drop a new bridge in a major metropolitan area because of all the human and environmental factors to consider. The old days of "we don't care who or what we do or take" are gone.

As for the closures/problems, you aint seen nuttin yet.

They are talking about charging a $2 toll to cross the bridge to Cincinnati.
Like I need another reason to not go to Ohio. I live 25 miles south of Cincinnati and go 6 months or longer between visits to Ohio. I worked in Cincy for about 12 years and hated crossing the river.:

Yes the bridge crossing into Cinci will probably be tolled as well.

What bugs me about the whole thing is they aren't really focusing on the major problem...spaghetti junction. I agree that the bridges won't last forever but I believe the Kennedy bridge still has a lot of life in it. The major backup coming southbound on I-65 is due to one lane servicing 64 in both directions and 71. And that the decision is made on the bridge. If spaghetti junction was moved further away from the bridge, it would allow for more lanes and more time to merge into the intended direction of travel. The engineers that designed that 50 years ago put a choke point within a choke point and it has suffered exponentially. Fix that problem, and I guarantee it will eliminate at least 50% rush hour backups. They really need to destroy spaghetti junction and start all over. It's all a mess and none of it makes any sense.

Dave1965 wrote:Here is a recent article if you don't believe me. Funny though, adding a 5 or 10 cent addition to the gas tax would make a huge difference in improving the infrastructure of the nature but it won't get passed because of stigma of raising taxes. And at 5 cents a gallon, a 10 gallon purchase is only 50 cents more.

http://www.betterroads.com/25-percent-o ... c669bc384e&*" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If tax payers felt funds were appropriated properly this wouldn't be an issue...

It's hard not to look at another gas tax and think "great, another way to hike up gas prices"

Not to mention these projects do seem to take way longer to complete than said and usually take more money than projected......Not sayin it's not a needed addition....just saying that most folks don't have much confidence in the "system"

CopperWires wrote:What bugs me about the whole thing is they aren't really focusing on the major problem...spaghetti junction. I agree that the bridges won't last forever but I believe the Kennedy bridge still has a lot of life in it. The major backup coming southbound on I-65 is due to one lane servicing 64 in both directions and 71. And that the decision is made on the bridge. If spaghetti junction was moved further away from the bridge, it would allow for more lanes and more time to merge into the intended direction of travel. The engineers that designed that 50 years ago put a choke point within a choke point and it has suffered exponentially. Fix that problem, and I guarantee it will eliminate at least 50% rush hour backups. They really need to destroy spaghetti junction and start all over. It's all a mess and none of it makes any sense.

Its hard to predict 50 years from now. I would predict that we will probably all have flying cars (if I am around).
The tools available today to predict growth and expansion and needs were not available 50 years ago. Heck, my phone has a bigger computer in it than the capsule that took us to the moon.

JustShootIt wrote:

Dave1965 wrote:Here is a recent article if you don't believe me. Funny though, adding a 5 or 10 cent addition to the gas tax would make a huge difference in improving the infrastructure of the nature but it won't get passed because of stigma of raising taxes. And at 5 cents a gallon, a 10 gallon purchase is only 50 cents more.

http://www.betterroads.com/25-percent-o ... c669bc384e&*" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If tax payers felt funds were appropriated properly this wouldn't be an issue...

It's hard not to look at another gas tax and think "great, another way to hike up gas prices"

Not to mention these projects do seem to take way longer to complete than said and usually take more money than projected......Not sayin it's not a needed addition....just saying that most folks don't have much confidence in the "system"

People are NEVER for new taxes. They only wish to complain about the here and now (why can't I get through this traffic, why doesn't someone do something).

All construction takes planning and more money than anticipated. With this type of construction you have to accommodate so many people factors and so many regulations (such as the environmental law which took probably 8 to 10 years on the Bridges) to get through that it is what causes the most delay. I bet most houses end up costing more than planned for. Multiply that times 100 or 1000 and watch the money grow.

Wyldman wrote:Why do we need another downtown bridge when the 3 we have seem to be doing the job? Wouldn't those resources be better utilized getting the I-265 bridges built and functioning? If they were completed, a lot of the interstate truck traffic congesting our downtown interchanges could be shunted off and around the city, making things safer for everyone involved.

I'm sorry, I forgot, things that make sense are never looked upon favorably.

Clark Memorial Bridge to close for at least a month next spring
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... louisville