The Ohio River Bridges Project can be financially supported through a toll costs ranging from $1 for frequent drivers to $12 for heavy trucks plus fees, said a study released Friday.There are hitches—the study assumes a 2.5-percent rate annual rate increase. Also, the tolls will lead to increased traffic on two bridges that won't have tolls—the Sherman Minton Bridge to the west and the Clark Memorial Bridge connecting downtown Louisville to Clarksville. For example, the Sherman Minton would bear 30-percent of the traffic in 2018 and 2023 sans tolls; that jumps 44 percent in 2018 and 2023.Increased traffic on the Clark Memorial poses other issue, the study said."During the peak periods, U.S. 31 is already at capacity and the impact of the traffic signals is more pronounced. Also, due to its connection with the downtown Louisville local streets, very few trucks use the Clark Memorial Bridge," the study said.The bridges won't have toll booths. Instead, motorists will pass under stations without stopping. Motorists can get transponders that will reduce the rate they'll pay for crossing.Here' a breakdown of the costs, depending on the circumstances:
Two bridges are being constructed—one connecting Eastern Jefferson County to Clark County and a downtown crossing parallel to the Kennedy Bridge. It's a $2.6-billion project and the tolls will go toward paying off the projecting's financing.The study was done by the construction consulting firm Steer Davies Gleave for the Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority.It's posted below:
