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Once the project contract is awarded in the fall of 2010, the winning contractor is expected to submit a project schedule. It will include the anticipated bridge closure period and other specifics about the project schedule. The contractor will be permitted to close the bridge to traffic for a maximum of 12 months, though efforts are being made to reduce the amount of time the bridge is closed. The bridge can remain open while work is performed to modernize the existing piers.
Free ferry service will be offered during the bridge closure. The ferry will take vehicles and pedestrians from the Milton boat ramp at Ferry St. to the former boat launching ramp at Ferry St. near the City of Madison campground. Plans are being developed to manage parking and traffic in both staging areas. Enhancements will be made to both launch sites by adding restroom facilities, sidewalks and resurfacing. For those choosing to drive, the nearest Ohio River bridges are 26 miles upstream near Vevay, Ind., and 46 miles downstream in Louisville, Ky. Carpooling and staggered work shifts are being encouraged in an effort to lessen demand during peak hours.
Plans call for ferry service 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, except when weather or river conditions make operations unsafe. Two ferries will run most of the day, and one ferry would operate at night and on weekends. If necessary, a second ferry could operate during large weekend events.
It is estimated that two ferries, operating simultaneously, could hold up to 24 cars each. Each crossing would take approximately 12 minutes, including loading and unloading. During peak hours, the ferries could carry 240 cars per hour. A total of about 4,800 vehicles could be accommodated per day, meeting approximately 40 percent of the current 11,000 vehicle-per-day traffic demand. Drivers wanting to cross the river may choose to wait on the ferry or take an alternate route, such as Markland Dam, 26 miles upstream, or the I-65 bridge, 46 miles downstream in Louisville. Carpooling and staggered work shifts are being encouraged in an effort to lessen demand during peak hours.
In addition to cars, the ferry can accommodate small trucks and trucks with two axles, such as delivery trucks.
Each crossing is expected to take approximately 12 minutes, including loading and unloading. Wait times to ride the ferry will vary depending on demand.
Yes, pedestrians and bicyclists can ride the ferry.
Emergency medical service will be provided through the duration of the bridge closure period. The project team is coordinating with local representatives from the King’s Daughters’ Hospital and Milton Fire and Rescue to determine what form of emergency medical response will best meet the needs of Trimble County during the bridge closure.
Superstructure replacement involves removing the existing steel superstructure and replacing it with a new wider truss superstructure, which will look similar to the existing bridge. The road deck will be rebuilt and widened to 40 feet, including two, 12-foot lanes and emergency lanes. The current bridge is only 20-feet-wide with two, 10-foot lanes and no shoulder. Existing piers will be reused by widening them and bringing them up to modern standards. Minimal changes will be made to the roads approaching the bridge; new approaches would be considered as part of future projects when funding becomes available.
The estimated cost of the project is $131 million. The project was awarded $20 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding in February 2010. Indiana and Kentucky have identified state and federal funding for the estimated $111 million remaining cost of the project, which will be evenly split by both states.
