Milton-Madison Bridge
Four
bridge options
selected for detailed study
Public
input is sought
before final decision is made
By
Konnie McCollum
Staff Writer
A possible new bridge at either Tiber Creek or Canip Creek
are among the final four considerations that will get more detailed
analysis and research in the $5 million Milton-Madison Bridge Project,
said officials at the April Project Advisory Group meeting.
The four alternatives that remain are:
|
Milton-Madison
Bridge Program Did you know
a 34-year-old construction worker gave his life while building
the Milton-Madison Bridge? Each time you cross the bridge,
you drive above his body encased in one of the bridge piers. • For more information, call George Freeman at (419) 937-6030 (cell) or (419) 447-7514. |
• Superstructure replacement. Tests are being conducted
on the piers, which would be used if found to be viable. Those test
results have yet to be concluded.
• A hybrid of original Alternatives 9 and 10 at Tiber Creek.
• A hybrid of Alternatives 11 and 12 at Canip Creek.
• Do nothing, which is required by federal law. This alternative
remains to provide a baseline for comparison of other alternatives.
“This decision reflects months of hard work and careful consideration
on the part of the community,” said Gary Valentine, project manager
for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Originally, there were 14 alternatives chosen for consideration. PAG
members and federal, state and local officials helped narrow that selection
through thorough evaluation of the project’s “Purpose and
Needs Statement.” That statement was derived by a lengthy process
involving PAG members and all of the agencies involved in the project.
Wilbur, Smith Associates of Lexington, Ky., is the lead consultant on
the project.
“The rest of the alternatives were removed from the options list
because they did not meet the “Purpose and Needs” statement
and because they also did not pass the secondary screening criteria,”
said Tim Sorenson, an engineer for Wilbur, Smith Associates.
The Tiber Creek hybrid evolved from “Alternative 9,” which
would have routed traffic around downtown Milton, Ky., and “Alternative
10,” which would have put the bridge on the Madison, Ind., side
at Ferry Street.
Sorenson explained that engineers would work to get the “stop condition,”
which is problematic on the current bridge, resolved with this selection.
Two possible solutions, either a continuous connection that would tie
the bridge to IN Hwy. 56 or a reverse curve would be further researched.
With the Canip Creek hybrid, a mixture of original “Alternatives
11 and 12,” there would be a continuous flow down Milton hill over
KY Hwy. 36 that would tie into IN 56. More research would determine
how to connect the bridge to KY 36 in Milton.
Sorenson also said the “Superstructure Replace-ment Alternative,”
which would build a new superstructure on the existing piers and result
in a complete closure of the bridge for nine to 12 months, would continue
to be considered unless tests revealed the piers to be unsafe and not
re-usable.
“We would not move forward unless the piers are as safe as a new
bridge,” he said. “The potential is there for this option
to be cheaper and faster. The existing historic location and the piers
would be maintained with this option.”
Questions were raised by PAG members about whether the cost analysis
of a superstructure replacement would take into consideration factors
such as the cost to employers and commuters, and a detour or ferry service.
“Hardship impacts won’t be a discussion made lightly,”
said John Carr, project manager. “That economic impact will be
quantified with a number, which will then become a factor in any decision.”
Questions were also raised about why the “Do Nothing Alternative”
had to stay on the table.
“The ‘Do-Nothing’ is not going to happen. It is simply
the baseline for the project,” explained Carr. “I’d bet
the farm and my next paycheck that there will be a bridge replacement.
Officials are not going to spend this kind of money and then do nothing.”
Sorenson assured PAG members and members of the public who attended
the meeting that there were no pre-selected alternatives. He stressed
that peoples’ opinions do count.
“If it was a done deal, we could go through a much simpler process,”
said Carr.
“I can tell you that from the governor to any and all public officials
involved, public comment is important,” said Milton’s Jack
Couch, one of the consultants on the project. “Citizens are the
most important piece of this. Those of you who are here, invite your
neighbors to the next meeting.”
At a May 19 Open House in Madison, Sorenson said the original Canip
Creek Alternatives were developed by a man at one of the early meetings
who hand-sketched a map. “We took his idea, worked with it a bit
and came up with a very viable alternative,” said Sorenson. “We
may have not had that alternative on the table without his help.”
During that May meeting, the public was invited to review and discuss
the project’s process to date. People were asked to express their
opinions and concerns about the alternatives.
Public attendance was sparse throughout the 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. meeting.
There will be several more public meetings scheduled before the end
of the project, officials said. A live, online chat hosted by the consultants
that was scheduled for May 22 was canceled because of the fire at the
Jefferson County Courthouse. It will be rescheduled at a later date.
“We need input,” said Sorenson. “We want to hear from
the public.”
Sorenson said by summer’s end “things would be narrowed down.”
Field experts, including cultural historians, archaeologists, biologists
and geologists will begin to do on-site research and analysis.
“We are moving as rapidly and as thoroughly as possible,”
said Sorenson. “We should be finished with the environmental study
by mid-2010, which would be a year earlier than expected.”
• For more information on the Milton-Madison Bridge Project, visit: www.MiltonMadisonBridge.com.