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38-572: The Sherman Minton Bridge is a double-deck through arch bridge spanning the Ohio River , carrying I-64 and US 150 over the river between Kentucky and Indiana . The bridge connects the west side of Louisville, Kentucky to downtown New Albany, Indiana . In 1952 the " Second Street Bridge " was reaching peak traffic, and the K&;I Bridge faring similarly. Arthur W. Grafton commissioned two studies in 1952 and 1953, with their results being

76-399: A through arch bridge : a bridge where the deck does not have to be carried over the top of the arch. This requires a structure that can both support the deck from the arch by tension rods, chains or cables and allow a gap in the arch, so the deck can pass through it. The first of these in particular cannot be achieved with masonry construction and requires wrought iron or steel. The use of

114-629: A need for two bridges in Louisville; one crossing to Jeffersonville, Indiana , and the other to New Albany. Hoosiers as far as Scottsburg, Indiana (30 miles (48 km) away) were vastly against making any bridges toll, and many residents of Louisville were against toll bridges as well. When the Interstate Highway System was announced by President Dwight D. Eisenhower , the solution became clear. The Federal government would finance 90% of both bridges, with Indiana paying 10% of

152-552: A new collection of innovations to champion every two years that merit accelerated deployment. Among the approaches promoted by the EDC effort are: adaptive traffic control to reduce fuel consumption and improve travel time reliability ; alternative intersection design; prefabricated bridge elements and systems; high-friction surface treatments; warm mix asphalt; ultra-high-performance concrete; virtual public involvement; and time-saving strategies such as rapid bridge replacement . Since

190-530: A news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation, dated October 18, 2011, Governor Mitch Daniels announced that Louisville based Hall Contracting of Kentucky had been awarded the repairs contract in the amount of $ 13.9 million. A time frame of 135 work days was announce with an incentive of $ 100,000 per day to finish early. Likewise, a penalty of $ 100,000 would be deducted from the contract payments for each day over. Repair cost were covered by

228-551: A question based on the LTPP data. In 2010, FHWA launched the Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative to identify and deploy innovations to reduce project delivery time, enhance safety, and protect the environment. EDC is a state-based model that rapidly deploys proven, yet underutilized innovations. FHWA works with State transportation departments, local governments, tribes, private industry, and other stakeholders to identify

266-476: A solid bedrock foundation. Flattening the arch shape to avoid the humpback problem, such as for Brunel's Maidenhead bridge , increases this side thrust. It is often impossible to achieve a flat enough arch, simply owing to the limitations of the foundations – particularly in flat country. Historically, such bridges often became viaducts of multiple small arches. With the availability of iron or concrete as structural materials, it became possible to construct

304-467: A through arch does not change the proportions or size of the arch: a large span will still require a tall arch, although this can now reach any height above the deck without obstructing traffic. The arch may also reach downwards at its sides, to either reach strong foundations or to place the roadway at a convenient height for spanning a deep valley from a plateau above. The Tyne Bridge demonstrates both of these advantages. A well-known example of this type

342-518: Is constructed in place or lifted into position. In some cases, this type of arch has been created by constructing cantilevers from each side, with the shoreside ends bolted securely down into heavy piers. The incomplete channel ends are then constructed toward each other and either filled by construction or by lifting a prefabricated center section. This type of construction was used in the Sydney Harbour Bridge illustrated above, with

380-399: Is not practical to support the arch from beneath during construction. In modern construction, temporary towers are erected and supported by cables anchored in the ground. Temporary cables fly from each side to support arch segments as they are constructed. When the arches are almost complete a jacking bridge is placed over or beneath the gap to force the arches apart, whence the final section

418-1031: Is the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, which is based on the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City . Other bridges include the Chaotianmen Bridge in China, the world's longest through arch bridge; Tyne Bridge of Newcastle upon Tyne ; the Bayonne Bridge that connects New York City to New Jersey , which is longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge; the Ahwaz White Bridge ; the Bourne Bridge and Sagamore Bridge , smaller, near-twin bridges over

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456-685: The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is used by most highway agencies in the United States. The MUTCD provides such standards as the size, color and height of traffic signs , traffic signals and road surface markings . Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) is a program supported by the FHWA to collect and analyse road data. The LTPP program was initiated by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of

494-840: The Cape Cod Canal ; the Pennybacker Bridge in Austin , Texas and as the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis, Tennessee . Wylam Railway Bridge is an early through arch bridge upstream of the Tyne Bridge. The through arch bridge usually consists of two ribs, although there are examples like the Hulme Arch Bridge of through arches with a single rib. When the two arches are built in parallel planes,

532-595: The Federal Highway Administration , who announced on September 30, 2011, that it would contribute 25% of the cost, with the remaining 75% being equally split between Indiana and Kentucky. The contract attached 1,200 short tons (1,100 t) of reinforcing steel plating along both sides of the bridge ties spanning 1,600 feet (490 m). The repairs along with regular maintenance increased the bridge's safety and reliability and extend its useful life by at least 20 years. Repairs were completed and

570-642: The Lewis and Clark Bridge to connect I-265 in the two states. The two I-65 crossings and the I-265 bridge are tolled to pay for the project, leaving the Sherman Minton as the only free interstate-quality river crossing in the Louisville area. One consultant who worked on a transportation study for the Kentucky government predicted that traffic on the Sherman Minton would increase by nearly 40% once tolling on

608-634: The National Research Council (NRC) in the early 1980s. The FHWA with the cooperation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sponsored the program. As a result of this program, the FHWA has collected a huge database of road performance. The FHWA and the ASCE hold an annual contest known as LTPP International Data Analysis Contest , which is based on challenging researchers to answer

646-559: The Office of Road Inquiry , Office of Public Roads and the Bureau of Public Roads . With the coming of the bicycle in the 1890s, interest grew regarding the improvement of streets and roads in America. The traditional method of putting the burden on maintaining roads on local landowners was increasingly inadequate. In 1893, the federal Office of Road Inquiry (ORI) was founded; in 1905, it

684-530: The Old Bridge, Pontypridd may become so steep as to require steps, making their use for wheeled traffic difficult. Railways also find arched bridges difficult as they are even less tolerant of inclines. Where simple arched bridges are used for railways on flat terrain the cost of building long approach embankments may be considerable. Further issues are the foundations for the bridge. Arch bridges generate large side thrusts on their footings and so may require

722-767: The Federal Lands Highway Program (sometimes called "direct fed"), the FHWA provides highway design and construction services for various federal land-management agencies, such as the Forest Service and the National Park Service . In addition to these programs, the FHWA performs and sponsors research in the areas of roadway safety, congestion, highway materials and construction methods, and provides funding to local technical assistance program centers to disseminate research results to local highway agencies. The FHWA also publishes

760-586: The New Albany bridge, and Kentucky paying 10% of the Jeffersonville bridge. The New Albany bridge was given to Hazelet & Erdal , of Louisville to design in 1956. Construction began in June 1959. The lower deck was dedicated and opened on December 22, 1961, by Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh and Kentucky Governor Bert T. Combs . It was built at a cost of $ 14.8 million. At the time it was dedicated, it

798-653: The Sherman Minton Bridge reopened at 11:50 pm on February 17, 2012. The bridge has been expected to see major increases in traffic following the completion of the Ohio River Bridges Project at the end of 2016. The project included repurposing the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge , which previously carried I-65 in both directions, for southbound traffic only; building the new Abraham Lincoln Bridge for northbound I-65 traffic; and building

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836-415: The bridge closure dated back to the bridge's original construction in the 1960s, but had not been discovered until the summer of 2011 because another structural component was covering it. On September 23, 2011, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced the 2.5-inch crack has been repaired, but the bridge would remain closed until crews completed an inspection of

874-597: The bridge for several hours while it was inspected for damage. When no damage was found, the bridge was reopened later the same day. On September 9, 2011, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels ordered the bridge closed. This was done after construction crews found cracks in the main load-bearing structural element. Experts from INDOT, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and private engineering firms and academic institutions participated in determining

912-491: The deliberate tension member that is the key to a tied-arch. Although visually similar, tied- and untied- through-arch bridges are quite distinct structurally and are unrelated in how they distribute their loads. In particular, cast iron bridges such as the Stanley Ferry Aqueduct may resemble tied-arch bridges, but as cast iron is weak in tension they are not structurally a tied arch. In some locations it

950-527: The inception of EDC, each state has used 26 or more of the 57 innovations and some states have deployed more than 45. Many of these practices have become mainstream practices across the country. The Federal Highway Administration is overseen by an administrator appointed by the President of the United States by and with the consent of the United States Senate . The administrator works under

988-844: The new U.S. Department of Transportation . The FHWA took over the functions of the Bureau of Public Roads the following year. The FHWA's role in the Federal-aid Highway Program is to oversee federal funds to build and maintain the National Highway System (primarily Interstate highways , U.S. highways and most state highways). This funding mostly comes from the federal gasoline tax and mostly goes to state departments of transportation . The FHWA oversees projects using these funds to ensure that federal requirements for project eligibility, contract administration and construction standards are adhered to. Under

1026-646: The organization was once again named the Bureau of Public Roads; it was placed under the Department of Commerce . From 1917 through 1941, 261,000 miles of highways were built with $ 3.17 billion in federal aid and $ 2.14 billion in state and local funds. The Federal Highway Administration was created on October 15, 1966, along with the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety and the National Highway Safety Bureau (now known as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ), as part of

1064-426: The other bridges started. The bridge is a double-deck configuration—westbound traffic from Kentucky to Indiana travels on the upper deck of the bridge, while eastbound traffic from Indiana into Kentucky travels on the lower deck of the bridge. It is of similar construction to the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis, Tennessee (with the primary difference being that the de Soto Bridge is single-deck). The steel used

1102-458: The remainder of the bridge. Five to seven additional cracks were discovered during the following inspection in welded areas in a load-bearing steel beam. "The fissures were discovered in a type of steel frequently used in the 1950s and 1960s that is now known to be susceptible to cracking. ...". This necessitated the bridge being closed for an extended period of time for repairs. Repairs cost $ 20 million and ultimately took four months to complete. In

1140-409: The severity of this crack and others found on the bridge, and determine whether the bridge could be saved. It was initially feared the bridge would remain closed from several months to up to 3 years, and that the entire span would have to be either completely replaced or extensively renovated before the Sherman Minton Bridge could reopen to traffic. However, engineers determined the crack that initiated

1178-450: The size: wider arches are thus required to be taller arches. For a semi-circular arch, the height is half of the span. Bridges across deep, narrow gorges can have their arch placed entirely beneath a flat roadway, but bridges in flatter country rise above their road approaches. A wide bridge may require an arch so tall as to become a significant obstacle and incline for the roadway. Small bridges can be hump-backed , but larger bridges such as

Sherman Minton Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-502: The structure is a parallel rib arch bridge. When the two arch ribs lean together and shorten the distance between the arches near the top, the span is a basket handle arch bridge. Many tied-arch bridges are also through-arch bridges. As well as tying the side-loads of the arch, the tension member is also at a convenient height to form the bridge deck, as for a through-arch. The converse is not true: through-arch bridges do not imply that they are tied-arch bridges, unless they also provide

1254-534: The supporting cables to the higher side of the arches removed after completion. Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration ( FHWA ) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program. Its role had previously been performed by

1292-415: Was T1 steel , which in the early 1960s was "innovative material" but is much weaker than modern steel. Classification of the bridge is "fracture critical" because if one part of the bridge should fail, the entire bridge could be at risk. Works cited Through arch bridge For a specific construction method, especially for masonry arches, the proportions of the arch remain similar no matter what

1330-665: Was changed to the Bureau of Public Roads . The following year, federal aid was first made available to improve post roads and promote general commerce: $ 75 million over five years, issued through the BPR in cooperation with the state highway departments. In 1939, BPR was renamed to the Public Roads Administration (PRA) and shifted to the Federal Works Agency . After the FWA was abolished in 1949,

1368-404: Was completed on September 1, 1962, and opened that day at 11:00 AM without ceremonies. The American Institute of Steel Construction in 1961 named it the most beautiful long-span bridge of the year. On February 5, 2009, a fifteen container coal barge lost power and was pushed downstream by the current and struck the bridge's central pier. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) closed

1406-501: Was named the Louisville-New Albany Bridge.New Albany Mayor C. Pralle Erni suggested to Indiana State Senator Clifford H. Maschmeyer of Clarksville to name the new bridge for the former United States Senator and Supreme Court justice Sherman Minton . On April 4, 1962, Indiana governor Matthew E. Welsh made the formal announcement that it would be named for Minton, who was a native of New Albany. The upper deck

1444-870: Was renamed the Office of Public Roads (OPR) and made a division of the United States Department of Agriculture . Demands grew for local and state government to take charge. With the coming of the automobile, urgent efforts were made to upgrade and modernize dirt roads designed for horse-drawn wagon traffic. In 1910, the American Association for Highway Improvement was organized. Funding came from automobile registration, and taxes on motor fuels, as well as state aid. By 1914, there were 2.4 million miles of rural dirt rural roads; 100,000 miles had been improved with grading and gravel, and 3,000 miles were given high-quality surfacing. The rapidly increasing speed of automobiles, and especially trucks, made maintenance and repair high-priority items. In 1915, OPR's name

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