US 51 BRIDGE PROJECT KYTC Item No. 1-100.00 & 1-1140.00 Wickliffe, KY to Cairo, IL January 2014 Alternative Selection Report US 51 OHIO RIVER BRIDGE PROJECT KYTC Item No. 1-100.00 & 1-1140.00 Wickliffe, KY to Cairo, IL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROJECT OVERVIEW PROJECT PURPOSE & NEED The US 51 Bridge Project proposes replacement or The primary purpose of the proposed project is to rehabilitation of the existing US 51 Bridge that rehabilitate or replace the existing US 51 Ohio connects Ballard County, Kentucky with Cairo, River Bridge in order to: improve or replace the Illinois. The planning phase of this project was functionally obsolete/structurally deficient bridge; completed in 2014; this Executive Summary maintain cross-river connectivity between Wickliffe, summarizes the findings of the planning phase. KY and Cairo, IL; and improve safety on the bridge and its approaches. The US 51 Bridge carries US 51, US 60, and US 62 traffic across the Ohio River. It also provides a CONDITION OF THE EXISTING BRIDGE connection to the US 60/US 62 Mississippi River The existing bridge was constructed between 1936 Bridge to Missouri, approximately ½ mile to the and 1938. south. Maintaining the cross-river connectivity is important to the local communities, resident farms, The bridge is rated both Functionally Obsolete and other businesses in the region. During the (because of its substandard geometric features) traffic counts completed in January 2013, over 150 and Structurally Deficient (because the original large trucks (including farm, grain, and logging design load for the bridge is less than today’s trucks) were observed using the US 51 bridge over current design standards). This does not mean the an 8-hour period. existing bridge is unsafe. If the US 51 Bridge were not available for local Following the 2012 inspection and 2013 load rating traffic, the detour trip between Wickliffe, KY and analysis, KYTC assigned the US 51 Bridge a Cairo, IL increases from 7 miles to 80+ miles per sufficiency rating of 39.8 on a 100-point scale. direction. Adding approximately 70 miles per Bridges considered structurally deficient or direction to trips between Illinois and Kentucky functionally obsolete with a sufficiency rating less would be a hardship to area residents. This is than 50.0 are eligible for replacement with federal especially true for the population of Cairo, IL which funds under the Federal-Aid Highway Bridge exhibits elevated concentrations of minority and Replacement or Rehabilitation Program. low income populations, which rely on the US 51 Bridge to access jobs in Wickliffe, KY. On the The existing bridge was designed before seismic Kentucky side of the river, the US 51 Bridge is design was required. Applying today’s seismic essential to farmers. Agriculture is a major design criteria, preliminary estimates indicate that component of Ballard County’s economy and the severe damage or collapse is probable in the event bridge facilitates transport of crops and livestock of a major earthquake. from the county’s farms to the interstates and ports in Illinois. The functional and geometric deficiencies affect the bridge’s ability to carry traffic over the river in an effective manner. Bridge Geometric Deficiencies: Narrow 10-foot lanes Narrow 1’-3” shoulders No accommodations for pedestrians or bicyclists One of the sag vertical curves in Span 2 does not meet current AASHTO design standards for headlight sight distance. The horizontal curve on the Kentucky approach does not meet current AASHTO or state design standards. Existing US 51 Bridge Executive Summary US 51 Alternative Selection Report January 2014 Currently the bridge is allowed to carry legal loads, RECOMMENDATION but permit loads (i.e. oversize or overweight Combined Alternate 2 shown in the attached map vehicles) are not allowed. Under the no-build is recommended to advance for additional scenario it is anticipated the bridge would be development. Combined Alternate 2 represents a closed to truck traffic around 2025 and closed range of potential crossing locations located to all traffic around 2030. upstream of the current US 51 Bridge structure - within 2,000 feet of its present location. In future project development phases, designers should look at alignment, cross-section, and bridge type options that best fit within this corridor. Cable stay, truss, and arch bridges are all considered suitable bridge types at this location. Combined Alternate 2 is approximately 1.8 miles in length and would require a horizontal clearance of 900 feet for the navigational channel based on correspondence provided by the US Coast Guard. A vertical clearance of at least 113 feet above the zero gage at Cairo is recommended for the mid 700-foot portion of the primary navigation channel. Narrow lanes and shoulders Final vertical clearance requirements will be determined in future phases of project development when more detailed information is TRAFFIC OPERATIONS available. The 2013 Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) volume on the US 51 Bridge is 5,400 vehicles per Construction is estimated to cost $180-210 million¹ day (vpd). Approximately 35% of the bridge traffic is trucks. By 2040, the bridge AADT is anticipated depending on the selected cross-section. to increase to 6,200 vpd, which translates to 370 vehicles per hour traveling in the peak direction Combined Alternate 2 during the 2040 design hour. Based on these Planning Level Cost Estimate volumes, a two lane facility provides adequate (44 ft Clear Roadway Width on Bridge) capacity for anticipated future traffic demands. Phase Cost (millions)¹ Design $25.2 CRASHES AND SAFETY During October 2008-September 2012, there were Right‐of‐Way $0.9 18 vehicle crashes on the bridge between the 20 Utilities $0.1 mph curve in Kentucky and the US 60/US 62/US 51 intersection in Illinois. Of these, there were no Construction $210.0 fatalities and one injury collision. Crashes were Total $236.2 largely concentrated at either end of the bridge. The bridge approach in Kentucky has a critical rate ¹ Cost Estimates in 2013 Dollars factor (CRF) of 1.13 and the bridge approach in Illinois has a CRF of 1.52; both are considered high EVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FOR crash spots under KYTC analysis methodology. RECOMMNED ALTERNATE The primary crash types were sideswipes and A windshield survey was conducted in Fall 2013 to single vehicle collisions. identify environmental concerns that should be addressed as part of any future project INPUT development activities. The survey found the During coordination activities in April and May following environmental considerations in the 2013, agencies, local officials, and members of the Combined Alternative 2 footprint that will require public were given opportunities to review and further analysis in future project phases: comment on the range of alternatives considered. Input indicated that the bridge is a vital link for Habitat for endangered species: Indiana bat, Gray bat, listed mussel species, pallid sturgeon farming operations; therefore, closures and lane Potential bald eagle habitat, including a known restrictions should be minimized during any future nest site in the vicinity construction efforts. Survey respondents indicated Streams, Floodplains, & Wetlands a strong preference for constructing a new river Potential for economic effects associated with crossing at or near the existing location. barge moorings along shore Executive Summary US 51 Alternative Selection Report January 2014 Interstate ï¨ P Mound US Highway u la A s le k City x i State Highway a C n o 37 d ¹· t H u 1105 a S e n ¹· z r h Z e t ¨ h Te l Local Road y T rr C g el C 6 l R o u d r o e u Cedar St l e n S k t d p y Elm St R Railroad C e a e n c D o Redmond Rd !y h t Redm e n T ond R e errel State Boundary d R l R D d iv d e e R v r y r e p t D e e S r l County Boundary S o l y a T Study Area C o tto n w o o d S Kin Streams lo u g h g Rd H ollow ay L andin n g Rd Combined Alternate 2 L La e p R k ollin a gs R L d t a l Community Resources F d Æe R Airport e c i Æe d r R C y e !y a i l Boat Ramp w l o m C re e a k o d l o l S S o H Jim ï¨ Irel Cemetery o an r d i Rd a Dy C nam ite Rd K" Health Facility Le aseto wn Rd ÆJ Park M d ain St t Y S R S F I y e K i s 4 k C g lay ¨ h S c O t School d C i 3 u L C t ir R N a c t l ¹· n U rmers S e I k Fa D h e r e ï¨ c K T t L a R t S e r d D L N Lake S h Major Employers B I onroe Dr t M h T E 9 S T 7 t î¨î¨¨Z K S Wa t Boatwright WMA l d 1 l S ê y t ¨ S Industrial Area t R h h ¨ n î¨ n t T o u 6 î¨ S s y Barlow o n k h î¨ t Ol S ¨h d h e h T n am h Marine Transportation C re R o d 5 r o u C t S rd J r o t z z a u J e C B S d d Il a lino r is L Beach Ridge R n a n d l i l t a d t a le x y B S K" e S l h a Shawnee Cre l ek A o w n u e h e g C h g r e u e k o l S s s V F W e Rd r p V F W t y Rd S C t S t 1 S d R 3 n L 51 ¤£ n a m n t r d L a R b H e o k B a d L R n s a d r w a F S i w s d T h u E W L r n a a e 4 k s ¨ r e h L i t R n h S n g 9T d t 3 o t P n E S 13 r 6 Th 8 A d l a A m 38 ¨ê i r R v r m i n e S e C Gu s m o t C t o L orn r er R x d o i ï¨ m a n 57 k D m g e t s S e L R d n r n § t 3R i ¨¦ d S 3 c k Th e î¨ 4 d î¨3 î¨ A 4 t A î¨ ¨ S v h e N 30T î¨ d î¨ t R K" h S Cairo T y 8 t P 2 r a tî¨ S e r h k ÆJ T b î¨26 i A î¨ L t î¨St v S h e 4T î¨ h 2 î t T ¨d S S 7 N 2 22 t î R e c o m m e n d e d e ¨ t v S e h t î¨ T S N e w B rid g e C o rrid o r n St t 0 s d S 2 h 3R r T t o 2 8 S n te 1 h C n 6T a B e î¨ O n î¨ t 1 O C a C K" h e S î¨ r y î¨ t io h ew o h î¨S C t t S i s u T h t o S 9 î¨ S t r