KYTC Minute - January 12, 2012

Kentucky and Indiana have agreed on a basic plan to finance and build the Ohio River Bridges Project, and work may be under way later this year. Each state will do one section of the project. Kentucky will be responsible for financing and building the downtown portion of the project, which includes a new I-65 bridge, a re-decked Kennedy Bridge, modernization of the Kennedy Interchange, and expansion of the I-65 approach in Indiana. Both Kentucky and Indiana plan to use a combination of traditional funds and tolls on the new and improved crossings to pay for the project. We'll have regular updates on the Ohio River Bridges Project as developments occur.

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  News & Politics

[stunoland]

Save Louisville is the cold palm of reality that will metaphorically slap our city and state's leadership in the face, waking them from a childish fantasy world. Save Louisville will force them to recognize that the ORBP is undemocratic, economically detrimental, and socially unjust. The 2/3rds all Electronic Picture Tolling scheme is counter-productive, the financial model is fatally flawed, and the project's regressive priorities result in a 100 year unmarketable image defining gateway

[stunoland]

Toll rates being studied are $1.50 downtown and $2 for the east end bridge. They have reduced the capacity of the east end bridge and are now looking to charge more to cross on I-265, Riverfields wins again. Instead of listening to the super-majority of citizens that want this project divided the incompetent and regressive leadership in Louisville has prioritized the interests of a few politically connected suburban families.

[stunoland]

The pathetic design downtown locks Louisville's image defining gateway into 1950s style infrastructure for the next 100 years. Louisville will be effectively unmarketable to the world. In Prospect we are building a $795 million 3 mile 4-lane luxury highway that includes a $261 million tunnel and a 4-story cut into the hillside. This situation is flat out unacceptable and should our city's incompetent and regressive leadership succeed in subverting democracy there will be decades of opposition.

[stunoland]

Nothing could do more harm to our city than accelerating the full Ohio River Bridges Project. The tolling scheme is fatally flawed and Wilbur-Smith is intentionally manipulating the data to underestimate the true toll rates. The downtown portion of the project is unwanted by a super-majority of the public (CN2 8/10)

[stunoland]

They cut $1 billion+ from the Spaghetti Junction Redesign while trimming $3 million from the $795 million KY east end approach. Should our city's incompetent and regressive leadership continue in their efforts to subvert democracy we will work diligently for decades to educate the public about this crime against democracy. The downtown Ohio River Bridge Project is truly the biggest urban planning mistake of the 21st century and will lead to 100 years of economic stagnation

[stunoland]

Based on their previous studies the traffic planners are underestimating the degree to which drivers will choose the free option. The vast majority of I-64 East/West traffic and l-65 traffic will choose the free option. Divide the project, not the community. Build the east end bridge and multiple local access bridges now. Save Louisville.

[stunoland]

The bulk of the cost of the 1.4 mile KY east end luxury highway is the tunnel. The real cost of the fraudulent tunnel is actually much higher than $250 million dollars. Without the Drumanard tunnel the east end approach could be built at-grade with sound blocking walls. The existence of the tunnel necessitates hundreds of feet of cutting into the hillside and hauling out tons of dirt and rock. The cost of the 65 ft cut into the hillside is not factored into the $1/4 billion tunnel price tag.

[stunoland]

If the toll revenues don't cover the bond payments then local taxpayers cover the hugely unpopular downtown ORBP. When this project was approved in 2003 the growth in traffic volumes was at its peak. Unlike the wildly optimistic projections, traffic volumes have declined in the Louisville metro since 2003.

[stunoland]

The anti-Louisville general assembly has to come up with $500 million or Louisville has to toll the Sherman-Minton Bridge. Indiana controls the S-M bridge so don't expect tolls there anytime soon. There is still a chance that Louisville can avoid the economically disastrous downtown Ohio River Bridges Project.

[stunoland]

We will not allow our city's leadership to live in a childish fantasy world where they pretend that Louisville's riverfront is adequate to compete in the 21st century. Waterfront park is a great park but the presence of the 1950s style elevated expressway is not compatible with a marketable city in the 21st century. Louisville does not have to remove I-64 at this point but at the very least the city must have a context-sensitive design on its image defining gateway..