Because the state would spend a lot of money for an EIS for a limited-access roadway, with at-grade intersections, frontage roads, and bike paths (limited-access, which can mean something other than a freeway or interstate)... any plans that showed a potential freeway are long dated (e.g. this, from 2004). The Fairfax portion of the Red Bank modification project was actually completed 2008, which involved the elimination of many at-grade intersections and driveway aprons, the consolidation of intersections into a handful of controlled access points, and the construction of the Fairfax Bike Trail alongside the highway. The highway base was completely rebuilt and widened with a new 14" continuously-reinforced concrete pavement, sidewalks were constructed, and new infrastructure was applied.

 

They wouldn't have spent THAT much money on something that would be thrown away.

Because the state would spend a lot of money for an EIS for a limited-access roadway, with at-grade intersections, frontage roads, and bike paths (limited-access, which can mean something other than a freeway or interstate)... any plans that showed a potential freeway are long dated (e.g. this, from 2004).

 

Looks like a freeway in the works to me. Sooner or later.

I don't know when the last time you drove on Red Bank, but this is not a freeway[/url], and that was completed two years ago. If we looked at the proposed OKI routing, which was nothing more than lines on a paper, we would be demolishing the brand new Wal-Mart that was just constructed, and the new frontage developments along Red Bank that were just completed last year.

 

That is limited-access, in the sense that there are no driveway intersections, with controlled access points. It does have curbs and no median.

It does seem like a true 74 is further away now than it probably has been in a long time, but it seems pretty clear that there is a push to create a massive limited access highway along that corridor, whether it is built to interstate standards at this point seems less relevant.

There's plenty of plans for interstates or other highways that never got anywhere.  The combined Queen City and Taft Expressways were going to be Norwood Lateral-like early highways that were going to connect Cleves with Columbia Parkway over the Western Hills Viaduct and through the McMillan/Taft corridor in Uptown and Walnut Hills.  There's even detailed drawings of it at http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/never-built.html  They never even tried to build it though, and instead we have the one-way pairs of Taft/Calhoun and McMillan, along with a widened Queen City Avenue. 

 

The Colerain Expressway was a similar thing that came closer to being built, but it was still stalled and scaled back until nothing was left.  Reagan/Cross County Highway was supposed to connect to I-275 east of Indian Hill, but that was blocked for obvious reasons.  So there's no shortage of plans for more highways out there, and in many cases they were scaled back to arterial surface streets, just like Red Bank. 

^Why was Cross County stopped at Indian Hill? I'm glad it does, as Indian Hill would be potentially ruined by a freeway running through it, but I've never heard the actual reason.  Is it because the highway was just supposed to connect the West Side with 75 and 71?

It was blocked by Indian Hill NIMBY-ism. 

I'm actually disappointed it was never completed. The main reason it was stopped was for NIMBYism, because the folks in Indian Hill have a lot of money and resources to throw around. The people of the Walnut Hills, not so much.

 

As a result, there is no major east-west route from central Cincinnati to the east side.

Which is actually the same reason 74 never happened in more propitious times, except it was Mariemont and Fairfax that stood in the way.

I can barely see it, but you may be right. That is one tight diamond configuration.

 

I wonder if this will be the first "superstreet" in Ohio. The intersection of OH 747 and Austin Pike looks very, very similar to the "superstreet" proposed above.

 

The one @747 and Austin Pike will be a continuous flow intersection, where left turns are made in advance of the intersection:

 

This is a graphic of a superstreet:

 

Might have been easier just to make an spui interchange.

I'm actually disappointed it was never completed. The main reason it was stopped was for NIMBYism, because the folks in Indian Hill have a lot of money and resources to throw around. The people of the Walnut Hills, not so much.

 

As a result, there is no major east-west route from central Cincinnati to the east side.

 

I don't really understand this, can you explain? Indian Hill is pretty far east, and there isn't much past it that would warrant a highway.  Personally, I'm glad the freeway didnt cut through the middle of Indian Hill.  Part of what makes Indian Hill special is that it feels remote and tranquil, and that surely would have been destroyed with a freeway.

Columbia Parkway/Mariemont bypass was to connect with what was referred to as US 50F, or the short freeway stub in the vicinity of Interstate 275. The Cross County would have tied into Interstate 275, but I can't find a real definate plan if it was to go straight east or curve due southeast to Milford.

 

My friend John Simpson has some info on US 50F, which was created in 1972 when it was built.

http://pages.prodigy.net/john.simpson/highways/050f.html

 

It was never signed as US 50F, but in ODOT logs as such, and is now signed as OH 450.

I'm actually disappointed it was never completed. The main reason it was stopped was for NIMBYism, because the folks in Indian Hill have a lot of money and resources to throw around. The people of the Walnut Hills, not so much.

 

As a result, there is no major east-west route from central Cincinnati to the east side.

 

I don't really understand this, can you explain? Indian Hill is pretty far east, and there isn't much past it that would warrant a highway. Personally, I'm glad the freeway didnt cut through the middle of Indian Hill. Part of what makes Indian Hill special is that it feels remote and tranquil, and that surely would have been destroyed with a freeway.

 

Don't get me started on Indian Hill. Indian Hill is disgusting. It is the worst of America. Make-believe rural. Galactic wealth with very little regard for the urban center or region that supports it. A breeding ground of insularity, hardcore drugs and cronyism. It walled itself off from Cincinnati and single-handedly strangled all communities to the east from fully participating in Cincinnati's regional economy, preserving them as far western outposts of Appalachia, with none of its beauty or authentic culture. It executes its virtually limitless power over neighboring communities with complete impunity. The world view of young people coming out of Indian Hill, with modest exception, is completely twisted.

 

 

 

Easier maybe, but SPUI's (or anything involving a bridge) are much much more expensive.  These superstreets are basically using Michigan Lefts which are heavily used across the whole state, but not much elsewhere.  There's some new ones in a few areas of North Carolina, and I'm sure there's others around, but they're mostly confined to Michigan as far as I know. 

The original plan was to have Cross County connect at 275 on the east and west rather than stopping at Montgomery Road on the East. Indian Hill stood between its current end and 275. For the east side, it would have substantially shortened travel times to the eastern sections of 275 (probably sprawl inducing).

If Cross County was completed, the following could have occurred:

 

1. Potential traffic that jams Interstate 71 NB to Interstate 275 EB (and vice versa) could have been diverted to Cross County, eliminating a lot of needless backups and delays. Interstate 71, as-is, necessitates widening but is not programmed in a six-year TIP, based on traffic counts and the level-of-service.

2. Potential traffic that jams US 50 EB through Cincinnati, Mariemont and eastward could have been diverted to Cross County (and vice versa).

3. Potential traffic that jams Interstate 471 SB to Interstate 275 EB could have been diverted to Cross County (and vice versa).

 

Because Cross County was never finished, travelers must take long detours to get to the east side. There is no clear through route, unlike on the west side. One of the biggest gains in travel was completing Cross County over a decade ago in the vicinity of Interstate 75; another similar gain would be to complete Cross County eastward to US 50F/OH 450 or Ward's Corner.

It will patently never happen.

 

You can see the ghosts of planning and anticipation of a completed cross-county in Milford. The gigantic 275 Milford Parkway interchange sat as a stub for decades, with the Park 50 business park looming to the east. Today, Park 50 has high vacancy rates and the interchange terminates westerly into a Super Walmart.

Milford Parkway, I think. Which isn't much of a parkway in the sense of what Cincinnati has. I remember as a kid being on that freeway where it terminated into basically a farm field, but now it curves sharply to the north into sprawling development. Then they removed a part of the cloverleaf and added an at-grade intersection, bastardizing the freeway.

 

  "There is no clear through route, unlike on the west side."

 

  For many, many years, Cross County highway existed as a short segment between Blue Rock Road and Colerain Avenue on the West Side, and another segment between I-75 and Montgomery Road on the east side. Part of the hangup was that the original planned route went right through a large cemetery - what were they thinking? The two segments were finally connected in the 1990's along a slightly different route.

 

    West Side connections are still not great. Cross County does almost nothing for Delhi, Westwood, etc.

Milford Parkway was to connect to a relocated US 50  that was to run from the current SR450 i/c SW towards the US50 freeway at Red Bank Road, south of Mariemont and Terrace Park, and north of Newtown

I'm actually disappointed it was never completed. The main reason it was stopped was for NIMBYism, because the folks in Indian Hill have a lot of money and resources to throw around. The people of the Walnut Hills, not so much.

 

As a result, there is no major east-west route from central Cincinnati to the east side.

 

I don't really understand this, can you explain? Indian Hill is pretty far east, and there isn't much past it that would warrant a highway. Personally, I'm glad the freeway didnt cut through the middle of Indian Hill. Part of what makes Indian Hill special is that it feels remote and tranquil, and that surely would have been destroyed with a freeway.

 

Don't get me started on Indian Hill. Indian Hill is disgusting. It is the worst of America. Make-believe rural. Galactic wealth with very little regard for the urban center or region that supports it. A breeding ground of insularity, hardcore drugs and cronyism. It walled itself off from Cincinnati and single-handedly strangled all communities to the east from fully participating in Cincinnati's regional economy, preserving them as far western outposts of Appalachia, with none of its beauty or authentic culture. It executes its virtually limitless power over neighboring communities with complete impunity. The world view of young people coming out of Indian Hill, with modest exception, is completely twisted.

 

 

 

 

Wow...I don't even know how to respond to that. I would ask for facts to back up your ridiculous claims, but they don't exist.  Indian Hill is beautiful and peaceful, and its residents are some of the most influential people in the city. It has a great history, first rate school district, and makes the areas around it better, not worse.  Ask Mariemont, Terace Park, Montgomery, Milford, Loveland, and Maderia how they like being next to Indian Hill, and I doubt they'll say that it has kept them as "far western outposts of Appalachia".  Camp Denison is the only little town next to Indian Hill that could fit that description, and even that is a fairly nice, calm place.  I've known two people from Camp Denison, and they both love the small town, rural feel of the place that is provided because of Indian Hill having no commercial or industrial development, and limited density of residential.  Honestly, what is your issue with IH?

This is a graphic of a superstreet:

 

"PEDS"? LOL.

Indian Hill really is some of the worst kind of sprawl out there.  It's a very bad example of a "beautiful and peaceful" place.  The wealthier suburbs of Chicago's North Shore, like Kenilworth, Winnetka, and Lake Forest are much better at pulling off beauty, because you can actually see many of the gorgeous mansions.  While you get larger secluded estates as you get up into Lake Forest, they still present to the street with wonderful brick walls and gate houses.  Indian Hill has virtually none of that.  All you do generally see is the boring suburban housing developments for the "mere upper middle class" folks, while the truly rich hide down private roads and excessively long driveways.  Sure there's lots of woods and "green space" but there's SO much of it that it's just wasted.  Such green space is also basically useless unless you're rich enough to have a horse to go riding through the trails, or to drive to the Redbird Hollow walking trail (though no bikes are allowed!). 

 

The surrounding suburbs are not the places Sherman is talking about, though Camp Dennison is in a way.  It may be charming and cute, but a lot of it is a dump too.  More to the point, because of NIMBY opposition in Indian Hill, which is successful because those people are the richest and most powerful in the region, there's no major through roads.  Blocking Cross-County Highway is one thing, but they also stopped the Camargo Road bridge over the Little Miami River from being rebuilt, and no streets through town are more than 2-lane country roads.  The lack of any direct highway routes through Indian Hill, plus US-50 along the south being only a minor surface highway has significantly stunted growth to the east.  Yes, there IS sprawl beyond Indian Hill, but Miamiville, Wards Corner, Camp Dennison, Mulberry, Goshen, and even Milford are much smaller than they would be with better roads.  Indian Hill casts a shadow of lesser development very far to the east, basically stunting everything between Loveland and Eastgate. 

 

Indian Hill's lack of density itself, as well as its zoning out of any commercial use is a bad thing for the region as a whole.  Sure, it may make their own city look prettier, but that's at the expense of everywhere else.  The notion of zoning out commercial use is idiotic to being with, because you lose all sense of place.  Where's the center of town?  Drake and Shawnee Run by the municipal building?  Drake and Indian Hill Road, where there's two churches and a cemetery?  Whoop de frickin' doo.  Granted when Indian Hill developed its zoning ordinance it was in the mid 20th century, when strip shopping centers were becoming the norm, but all you have to do is look at Mariemont or Hyde Park Square or even Montgomery to see how to do a commercial area well.  Instead, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, has to drive to some other municipality to do ANY shopping at all, thus increasing traffic and blighting those other towns with extra parking lots. 

 

Indian Hill could be so much better than it is, but it's a completely sterilized and hostile environment to anyone who likes to do something more than mow his lawn all weekend.  It's exclusionary to the extreme, to the point where they scrutinize plans for pool houses and basement renovations to make absolutely sure you're not trying to add an in-law apartment or a somewhat self-sufficient living unit for servants.  No, even the personal assistants, cooks, housekeepers, etc., who work there have to be able to drive themselves in.  Density and walkability aren not bad thing, and you'd think that being snugged right up next to Mariemont they could see that.  Instead, you have about 75% more people as Mariemont, but occupying TWENTY TIMES AS MUCH LAND, virtually all of which is privately owned or is an impenetrable conservation easement.  Imagine how much better it would be if all those people were concentrated into a nice little town, even with some scattered estates around, but the rest was a large public park with hiking and mountain bike trails, or open farm land for local produce.  Instead, nearly all of it is large-lot single-family development that's off limits to anyone who doesn't live there. 

 

There's certainly an argument to be made that blocking further sprawl east of Indian Hill isn't necessarily a bad thing.  However, as we've seen it tends to leapfrog around rather than being squashed outright.  I mentioned that there is sprawl east of there, but it's so disjointed and difficult to get to that it's simply not worth the trouble for many people.  Instead, the sprawl marches north into Butler and Warren Counties, south into Kentucky, and west along I-74 unabated. 

By the way, my final sentence totally keeps the reply on topic!  :lol:

^All valid points, but I would contest that Indian Hill simply presents a different kind of life, where the residents aren't really concerned about having neighbors or a sense of community.  Indian Hill residents like having a lot of land, and having Indian Hill be a leisurly place that isn't plagued with traffic or mindless sprawl.  No, they don't have a town center, but they don't want one.  Depending on the part of Indian Hill you live in, Montgomery, Maderia, or Mariemont is your town square.  And with only 5-6,000 residents, I hardly think Indian Hill residents are a significant source of traffic in other nearby neighborhoods.  I've always thought of IH and Hyde Park as being sort of oppisite neighborhoods, although both extremely wealthy.  HP is all about the neighborhood feel, town square, walkability, etc. whereas IH is all about privacy, tranquility, and natural beauty.

I'm actually disappointed it was never completed. The main reason it was stopped was for NIMBYism, because the folks in Indian Hill have a lot of money and resources to throw around. The people of the Walnut Hills, not so much.

 

As a result, there is no major east-west route from central Cincinnati to the east side.

 

I don't really understand this, can you explain? Indian Hill is pretty far east, and there isn't much past it that would warrant a highway.  Personally, I'm glad the freeway didnt cut through the middle of Indian Hill.  Part of what makes Indian Hill special is that it feels remote and tranquil, and that surely would have been destroyed with a freeway.

 

Don't get me started on Indian Hill. Indian Hill is disgusting. It is the worst of America. Make-believe rural. Galactic wealth with very little regard for the urban center or region that supports it. A breeding ground of insularity, hardcore drugs and cronyism. It walled itself off from Cincinnati and single-handedly strangled all communities to the east from fully participating in Cincinnati's regional economy, preserving them as far western outposts of Appalachia, with none of its beauty or authentic culture. It executes its virtually limitless power over neighboring communities with complete impunity. The world view of young people coming out of Indian Hill, with modest exception, is completely twisted.

 

 

 

 

Wow...I don't even know how to respond to that. I would ask for facts to back up your ridiculous claims, but they don't exist.  Indian Hill is beautiful and peaceful, and its residents are some of the most influential people in the city. It has a great history, first rate school district, and makes the areas around it better, not worse.  Ask Mariemont, Terace Park, Montgomery, Milford, Loveland, and Maderia how they like being next to Indian Hill, and I doubt they'll say that it has kept them as "far western outposts of Appalachia".  Camp Denison is the only little town next to Indian Hill that could fit that description, and even that is a fairly nice, calm place.  I've known two people from Camp Denison, and they both love the small town, rural feel of the place that is provided because of Indian Hill having no commercial or industrial development, and limited density of residential.  Honestly, what is your issue with IH?

 

I know I'm harsh. I have a legitimate perspective. That's all I dare to say.

 

Montgomery, Mariemont, Terrace Park, Madeira and Loveland follow the very typical and predictable "cone of wealth" pattern seen in most US metros. Cincinnati's east-side wealth pattern started in Walnut Hills and Hyde Park, not Indian Hill. As for the Appalachia comment, please see every community in Clermont county other than Miami and Union townships.

 

Regionally, Indian Hill is not a good neighbor.

I am sure there are Indian Hill type suburbs in almost every city

Peds -- IMHO that is a safer ped x-ing than a normal 4 way intersection with turn lanes. Here, you look left to cross to the island, then right to cross from the island to the side. On a 4 way intersection you have to look left for thru traffic, and ahead for right turn on red traffic. Peds aren't allowed on Bypass 4 so its a moot point

^Not really. ColDayMan and I were talking about it the other day, actually. It's not the only one, but its not common, inside of a beltway.

Indian Hill started as a place for summer homes and country estates for the wealthy of Cincinnati. Obviously the wealth started in the city and moved out, but Indian Hill has been around for a long time, and it has always existed as a place free of traffic and pollution, and the other ills of the city.  I don't see it as being any different than other wealthy enclaves all around the country.  Potomac, MD, Bel Air in Los Angeles, and Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh all come to mind as peers to IH.

Bel Air is hardly rural and sits against mountains. Potomac is outside the beltway, besides it has a commercial center. It's just a suburb, I do not think those residents pretend that they are rural. Fox Chapel is one peer, but Pittsburgh's topography kind of precludes any rational conversation about routing freeways anyhow.

 

OK enough of this, it's off topic. I am sorry if I offended you with my venom, but it's an opinion I will defend and I assure you I have a decent perspective of the place.

It just seems to me that places that call for a superstreet are not typically places a lot of people will be walking. Maybe I'm wrong, but Bypass 4 not allowing pedestrians backs up my suspicion.

 

I'm not saying it's wrong, I just find it funny. It's good that they at least have the possibility factored into their design.

 

I don't think you're right, though, and here's why: if you do not want to cross to the opposite corner, or you approach the intersection from the SE or NW quadrants (relative to this graphic), you have to cross twice. Once the "less dangerous" way, and once the "more dangerous" way. The only time it is safer is if crossing SW<->NE exactly suits your needs.

OH 4 Bypass is a limited-access highway, and is not intended for pedestrians.

^Not really. ColDayMan and I were talking about it the other day, actually. It's not the only one, but its not common, inside of a beltway.

I think the fact that its inside the beltway (I-275) is irrelevant. Ours is so big it doesn't really compare. I'm sure other areas have Indian Hill type places,founded in the 20's  just outside the inner ring (Streetcar) subdivisions, and just inside the 1950's Auto Suburbs

Aging bridge on I-71 near Lebanon to be replaced

Ohio's tallest span has design similar to failed Minneapolis bridge

Wednesday, July 7, 2010  10:15 AM

Updated: Wednesday, July 7, 2010 11:06 AM

By Matt Leingang

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS -- Construction will begin this month on an $88 million project to replace the tallest bridge in Ohio, an aging structure similar in design to the one that collapsed in Minnesota in 2007, highway officials said today.

 

The Jeremiah Morrow Bridge on I-71 near Lebanon in southwest Ohio is considered safe but has enough structural deterioration that it can no longer handle heavy loads. Oversize trucks carrying more than 120,000 pounds, such military or farm equipment, are prohibited.

 

Ohio began developing plans to replace the bridge around the time the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The project is now on a fast track as the structure reaches the end of its 50-year life span, said Stefan Spinosa, an engineer with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/07/ohio-i71-bridge-replacement.html?sid=101

1/4 of American bridges declared deficient or obsolete:

 

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/07/trend-watch-quarter-american-bridges-declared-structurally-deficient-functionally-obsolete.php

Structurally deficient and functionally obsolete are two very different terms.  Structurally deficient is really the only one to worry about, as it means the structure is deteriorating and the bridge needs repair.  A functionally obsolete bridge can be perfectly sound structurally, but it just has poor geometry (narrow lanes, low clearances, tight curves, inadequate sidewalks or shoulders) or inadequate capacity for increasing traffic volume. 

 

The percentage seems to be relatively equal between the two, though many structurally deficient bridges are also functionally obsolete too, but they're not categorized as such.  Interestingly, the percentage of structurally deficient bridges is much higher in rural areas on low capacity local roads, while in urban areas most problem bridges are merely functionally obsolete.  Here in Cincinnati alone, nearly every bridge for I-71, I-75, I-275, Columbia Parkway, and even most of Cross-County Highway are considered functionally obsolete just because weight limit, shoulder width, and railing standards keep increasing. 

That article was designed to frighten the population into accepting any and all bridge replacement campaigns without examination.

Four-lane link not in plans

July 31, 2010 - By PAUL GIANNAMORE, Business editor

 

COSHOCTON - A year-old draft that one ODOT official said might not change much might mean no four-lane link between the end of the U.S. Route 250 expressway portion at Newcomerstown and U.S. Route 22 at Cadiz.

 

The Columbus-to-Pittsburgh Corridor Steering Committee met Friday morning at Central Ohio Technical College's Roscoe Village campus to discuss steps to be taken as the release of a feasibility study for the highway approaches toward year's end.

 

http://www.heraldstaronline.com/page/content.detail/id/544822/Four-lane-link-not-in-plans.html?nav=5010

 

Bridges here and across Ohio are deficient and need repairs, study says

Published: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 5:45 AM

By Tom Breckenridge, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

 

CLEVELAND -- Nearly one of eight bridges in Cuyahoga County is structurally deficient, including -- not surprisingly -- the heavily traveled Inner Belt Bridge, a new report says.

 

That doesn't mean the bridges are in peril. But the aging, deteriorating condition of spans here and nationwide begs for more funding to fix the problems, the nonprofit Transportation for America said in a report released Tuesday.

 

Using federal data, the report found that one of nine bridges nationwide is structurally deficient and needs "significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement."

Read more at: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/03/post_448.html

 

 

Inner Belt Bridge construction begins as massive supports are hammered into bedrock

Published: Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 7:00 PM    Updated: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 7:49 AM

By Tom Breckenridge, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A new, pounding rhythm echoes in the Cuyahoga River valley. And it won't stop till fall.

It's the sound of a bridge being built.

 

A heavy-duty crane began hammering steel I-beams down to bedrock Wednesday, to anchor the first support, or pier, to go up for the new Inner Belt Bridge.

Read more at: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/03/inner_belt_bridge_construction_3.html

Um yeah, just in case everybody else didn't hear about this Bridge Safety issue. Last week apparently the northern outer most I-beam on the 40 year old plus Valley Parkway overpass split or cracked (just south of RT 82). I don't know if any rubble fell on the freeway or a car. This resulted in I-77 South being closed while they reinforced with an vertical I-beam, allowing one lane of South bound traffic to reopen. Then they reclosed I-77 south over the weekend to CUT OUT the beam section from the center support to theend AND the Concrete Deck back to the next solid beam. Apparently Valley parkway maybe open 1-way, they have the hole they cut out surrounded by Jersey Barriers with 4 ft of fence on top. I drive that way everyday and it's really bizarre to see a huge chunk, just cut out of a bridge.

 

Link to an article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42227833/ns/local_news-cleveland_oh/

 

Oh yeah it recieved an A rating last year. I wonder what constitutes a "very visible crack"?

Story here, from the Jackson County paper (I follow it because I'm a native ;) ):

 

http://www.thetelegramnews.com/main.asp?ArticleID=13183&SectionID=6&SubSectionID=83

 

Besides that fact that I am almost sure the 4.5 million will come from ODOT, the most interesting part to me is the use of copies of bas-relief figures from the old Markay Theater in downtown Jackson on the overpass.  Hopefully those will look cool. 

 

It's not in Ohio but the State of Indiana just closed the I-64 bridge over the Ohio River near Louisville after an inspection discovered a crack in a fracture-critical member. I guess this shows that Interstate bridges are not invulnerable to failure.

.

I'm very suspicious at this news.  The timing, just a day after Obama's speech, is amazing.  Let's see photos and and have an independent examination of these bridges by engineers that aren't employed by the state departments of transportation. 

 

Jake, you seem to be suspicious of everything that the government does! Here's the press release from the Indiana Department of Highways. There's a contact on there where you can ask for photos.

 

http://www.in.gov/activecalendar/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=37081&information_id=74313&type=&syndicate=syndicate

 

According to the press release, the decision to close the bridge was made only a day after the crack was discovered, after consultation with engineers both within and without the department of highways.

 

 

 

 

>Jake, you seem to be suspicious of everything that the government does!

 

I am, because I've spent a lot of time studying totalitarian regimes (how they got in power, how they stayed in power) and the exact same media tactics take place in the United States all the time. 

 

Why did it take an order from the governor to close this bridge?  I would assume that the director of the state dep of transportation could do it.  But when the order comes from the governor, it attracts more attention. 

 

If a bridge is built to last 100 years, 50 years into it nobody will remember that and the public can be easily convinced that it is "crumbling". 

Twice the lanes, twice the lights, but THREE TIMES the wait!  :-o

I haven't been through it since construction began. How far are they with the work?