08/11/2017
Henderson Judge Executive Bradley Schneider posted this to help debunk several myths about a new I-69 bridge:
COMMON I-69 BRIDGE MYTHS
In monitoring the Facebook discussion about the I-69 bridge project, I've noticed some recurring comments and questions about things that really aren't true, are outdated or are just misconceptions. So let's clarify some of those (please share):
1) MYTH: If the new or old bridges are tolled, it will only slow down traffic even more as vehicles queue up at toll booths. FACT: Toll booths are no longer used on these sorts of projects. Modern technology allows tolls to be assesed with vehicles having to stop anywhere. The bills for tolls are sent to drivers in the mail or paid in advance by drivers who sign up fora toll pass.
2) MYTH: If the route for I-69 goes down the U.S. 41-Strip in Henderson, it'll just be more traffic stopped at stoplights. FACT: Interstates don't have stoplights. If the current 41 both north and south of the river is converted to an interstate, it will be drastically changed and won't include stoplights.
3) MYTH The project shouldn't be tolled because the interstates are federal roads and the federal government should pay for them. FACT: The original, federally funded interstate highway system was begun in 1956 and officially completed in 1992. Since then expansions or additions to the system have been the financial responsibility of the states in which the new roads are built. The federal government has some funds to contribute directly to projects, but only enough to assist. The bulk of financing is left to states to figure out. In many cases around the country, tolls have been the solution. The interstate bridges recently built in Louisville are a good example.
4) MYTH: The decision on the exact route will be made in Washington. FACT: The Federal Highway Administration must approve any routes offered up as to technical and legal requirements, but the final route for the bridge will be a cooperative agreement between the Indiana and Kentucky departments of transportation and, the two states' governors. Factors of both short-term and long-term cost as well as such things as ease-of-construction and environmental considerations will all influence the ultimate decision. BridgeLink's support for Central Corridor I is merely our board's opinion (supported by many folks, I might add, but just an opinion). The states, working together, will make the final call.
5) MYTH: In advocating for Central Corridor I, BridgeLink did not consider that drivers would still heavily favor the twin bridges (if they are kept open and toll-free) and therefore the tolling model on the new bridge won't work. FACT: BridgeLink understood potential challenges in revenue projections if a free local route across the river were maintained and attempted to balance that with the suggestion to the representatives of both state DOTs that heavy truck traffic only be allowed to cross on the new bridge, hoping that this would both reduce wear and tear on the old bridges and bolster toll revenues.Some modeling being done now by the I-69 project team will see if that's actually the case. Also, BridgeLink board members believe through personal experience and other anecdotal evidence that through travelers (folks passing through our area from, say, Chicago to Nashville) are very unlikely to avoid a relatively meager toll by exiting an interstate, following surface streets with which their unfamiliar, risking congestion and delays on the trip, and then hoping to succesfully find their way back on to the interstate. Normal through travellers just don't do that sort of thing. At least I don't. I stay on the interstate to get where I'm going. Most folks don't risk getting lost in a place they don't know to save $6 (or whatever the toll ends up being). They just don't. So we doubt many, if any, through travellers will skip the new bridge, especially if they're from outside our region.
6) MYTH: The I-69 bridge is in Kentucky, therefore Kentucky should pay the full cost of the project. FACT: For decades now both Indiana and Kentucky, understanding the mutual benefit and importance of the Ohio River crossings that link the two states, have shared the cost of building them and maintaining them. Sometimes Kentucky takes the lead or most of the expense of a bridge project, sometimes Indiana does. The final cost-share agreement on the building of the I-69 bridge has yet to be determined, but it will be a shared expense, because the project is a crucial infrastructure upgrade for both states.
Hope that helps. I welcome your thoughts and concerns. If you have questions about BridgeLink's advocacy for Central Corridor 1, I'd be happy to try to answer them.
