KYTC Wants to Hear From You!

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) wants to hear from you! They are looking for public input on proposed goals for increasing Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) involvement in highway projects.

The KYTC Office for Civil Rights and Small Business Development, which oversees the cabinet’s DBE program, is proposing an annual, overall DBE participation goal of 7 percent for federal fiscal year 2014. The federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Under U.S. Department of Transportation rules, the new goal would be in effect for three years.

The 2014 goals and methodology is available online at http://transportation.ky.gov/Civil-Rights-and-Small-Business-Development until June 25, 2013. Written comments will be accepted for 15 days afterward – until July 10, 2013 – and can be submitted online through the website or through the mail to:

Melvin Bynes
Office for Civil Rights and Small Business Development
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
200 Mero Street, 6th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40622

Information is also available by calling 1-800-928-3079 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT.

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Test Being Run Tomorrow for Downtown Bridge Crossing, Expect Loud Noises

If you are hear a loud boom near the downtown bridges tomorrow, don't be concerned. Walsh Construction will be doing some pre-construction activities for the Downtown Crossing of the Ohio River Bridges Project and nearby residents may hear some of that progress loud and clear Thursday.

Walsh Construction will be assessing the sturdiness of a test shaft drilled in late April and in order to do so a series of tests, known as lateral Statnamic load tests, will be performed. The test simulate the impact of a vessel striking the pier.

 

The day-long testing includes four or five successive tests, increasing loads and creating louder sounds.  The last and loudest of the tests will sound similar to a small cannon or large firework.  The sounds will be noticeable to those within 500 feet of the test site, but will not require any hearing protection for residents.

The 50-foot deep test shaft is located on the Indiana side of the Ohio River, east of the Kennedy Bridge, near Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville.  The tests are in preparation for building the piers for the new Downtown Crossing.  The new bridge will be built with nine piers, four on land and five in the water.

For more information or to follow the project's progress, go to www.kyinbridges.com.

Louisville Named a Walk Friendly Community

Louisville has a new designation.

 

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) has announced Louisville one of it's three new Walk Friendly Communities.

 

PBIC designates this honor to a city or town that has been recognized for its success in working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access, and comfort. PBIC recognized these three communities for their commitment to improving walkability and pedestrian safety:

Silver Level: Bend, Ore.

Bronze Level: Louisville, Ky. and Indiana, Pa.

PBIC says there now 36 Walk Friendly Communities across the nation and to date, Seattle, Wash., is the only Platinum-level Walk Friendly Community.

The Walk Friendly Community designation, awarded from bronze to platinum, is given to communities that have demonstrated a commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans and policies. The program uses an assessment tool that evaluates community walkability and pedestrian safety through questions related to engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation and planning.

 

The program is modeled after the League of American Bicyclists’ “Bicycle Friendly Communities,” and distinguishes cities and towns that are leading the way in walkability.

 

The program will begin accepting applications for the sixth round of designations on May 1, 2015, with the deadline for submission on June 15, 2015. Interested communities are encouraged to visit www.walkfriendly.org to learn more about the program and review the community assessment tool.

Click It or Ticket Campaign Begins May 20

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Click It or Ticket campaign, which is aimed at increasing the use of seat belts, will begin May 20 and run through June 2.

Adult seat belt use in the United States currently averages 82% among front seat occupants. In 2011, seat belts saved 11,949 lives nationwide.

In fatal crashes in 2011, 77% of passenger vehicles occupants were thrown from vehicles. 1% of crash victims, who were buckled up were killed and 31% of those were unbelted. Lastly, 75% are less likely to be killed in a rollover crash if they are buckled up.

In an effort to save more lives on roadways, state and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up to crack down on motorists who are not buckling up. For more information on the campaign, go to http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/2013ciot/index.html.

Louisville's Bike to Work Day is Friday!

 
In honor of Bike to Work month, Louisville's Bike to Work Day is this Friday. Rain or shine!
 
Six locations around town will be set up at 7 a.m. so commuters can meet up and ride with others. 
 
The Meet & Ride locations feature parking if you are driving and will allow you to ride with other riders and ride captains from the Louisville Bicycle Club! Riders must have a helmet. After work, ride back to the meet and ride locations from 4th Street Live!, leaving at 5:15pm.

Seneca Park: Meet at the basketball court parking lot just west of the tennis courts at 7am
Iroquois Park: Meet at the Amphitheater parking lot at 7am.
Shawnee Park: Meet at the Southwestern and Broadway entrance and bus stops along Market Street at 7am.
Southern Indiana: Meet at the Park and TARC at Illinois Ave and 9^th street at 7am.

Tyler Park: Meet at the tennis courts along Baxter Avenue at 7am

Clark Park: Meet in the parking lot at Thurston and Dixie at 7am

Then at lunch time go down to 4th Street Live! at noon to meet up with other commuters, learn more about bicycle commuting, visit with vendors and just celebrate the bicycle! And one of the lucky bike to work day registrants will win a new, fully-loaded Bianchi Metropoli, courtesty of Parkside Bike Shop-- no purchase necessary! They will also be giving out Louisville's printed bike map and drawing for other prizes!
 
For more information or to register for Bike to Work day, go to www.louisvilleky.gov/BikeLouisville/biketoworkday.htm

Expect Major Delays at South Hurstbourne and Linn Station Road

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 5 Office says that there will be lane closures on southbound KY 1747 (Hurstbourne Parkway) at the intersection with Linn Station Road (mile point 12.2) beginning today at 9 a.m. 

 

These lane closures will allow for water main installation as part of the I-64/Hurstbourne Parkway interchange improvement project.  Southbound Hurstbourne Parkway will be reduced to one lane at Linn Station Road 24 hours per day through 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 19.

Expect heavy delays on southbound Hurstbourne Parkway between US 60 and Interstate 64 during this phase of construction.  When possible, alternate routes should be considered.  MAC Construction and Excavating of New Albany, Ind. was awarded a contract in the amount of $4.5 million.  Work is scheduled for completion in late summer of 2013.

 The actual starting date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur.  Dial 511 or log on to 511.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  You can also get traffic information for the District 5 counties at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5.

Closures Announced by KYTC

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 5 Office has announced the following closures:

Temporary lane closure on KY 864 (Poplar Level Road) for the Louisville Zoo’s “Throo the Zoo” 5K Run/Walk: Saturday from 7:30 -10:00 a.m. The right lane of northbound KY 864 (Poplar Level Road) will be closed between Russell Avenue and Trevilian Way (mile points 11.7 and 12.0).

Ramp closures on Interstate 71 in Jefferson County at Interstate 265/KY 841 (Gene Snyder Freeway):  The closures are a part of a pavement repair project.  Contract crews are performing concrete pavement repairs on I-265/KY 841 between KY 146 (LaGrange Road) and Interstate 71 (mile points 30.3 and 34.7). The exit ramp from I-71 North to I-265/KY 841 (Exit 9B) North will be closed from 8:00 p.m. tomorrow until 6:00 a.m. on Monday.  A signed detour will be posted via northbound I-71 to KY 329 (Exit 14).  Motorists can access southbound I-71 and proceed to northbound I-265/KY 841. Motorists can also detour via southbound I-265/KY 841 to KY 22 (Exit 34).  They can turn left at the bottom of the ramp and follow signs to northbound I-265/KY 841. 

Temporary ramp and road closures for the March of Dimes “March for Babies.” The following routes in Louisville will be closed on Saturday from 8:30- 11:00 a.m.:

• US 31E(Main Street) between Story Avenue and Preston Street (mile points 16.7 and 17.4)
• US 42 (Story Avenue) between Main Street and Frankfort Avenue (mile points 0.0 and 0.67)
• Exit ramp from eastbound Interstate 64 to Story Avenue (Exit 7)

Dial 511 or log on to 511.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  You can also get traffic information for the District 5 counties at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5.

 

 

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Kennedy Bridge Repairs Planned for Three Weekends

If you are traveling on the Kennedy Bridge the next few weekends, you might want to add some additional travel time.

 

Upcoming repairs on the Kennedy Bridge will require some weekend lane closures beginning Friday (May 10).  Two of the three southbound lanes of I-65 will be affected.  The work, which will be limited to three weekends, will begin at 9 p.m. on Fridays and continue through 5 a.m. on Mondays.

Walsh Contruction, design-build team building the Downtown Crossing, is doing the work as part of the Ohio River Bridges Project, which includes improvements to the Kennedy Bridge, says the right two lanes of I-65 South will be closed from just north of the Kennedy Bridge in Jeffersonville, Ind., to the far south end of the bridge in downtown Louisville. Southbound traffic will be limited to one lane. The entrance ramp from Court Avenue in Jeffersonville to southbound I-65 will be closed during the weekend work.

 All lanes and exit ramps at the south end of the Kennedy Bridge will remain open. The Exit 0 ramp from southbound I-65 to West Market Street in Jeffersonville will be open.

Walsh says the Crews are making structural steel repairs and adding new steel cover plates.  The new plates will be positioned and secured to the bridge using high strength bolts.  A hydraulic crane will be used to hoist the plates in place.

Work is scheduled for the weekends of May 10-13, May 17-20 and May 31-June 3.  No work is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend.