Here’s a curious point about the aging U.S. 41 Twin Bridges between Evansville and Henderson, and the yet undetermined plans for a new Interstate 69 bridge which would connect the same communities.
A report on Tuesday by Frank Boyett of the Henderson, Ky., Gleaner newspaper told us that State Highway officials for Indiana and Kentucky met Tuesday with the Rotary clubs of Evansville and Henderson and discussed the uncertainty at this point of where the Interstate 69 bridge will be routed across the Ohio River and how it will be financed.
One interesting point from this discussion is that officials and supporters have talked in recent years that the new bridge might be paid for with tolls.That possibility has always struck us as a reasonable solution.
However, Paul Looney, Kentucky assistant state highway engineer with primary responsibility for I-69, said the idea would need careful consideration because toll revenues from the new bridge might be inadequate if the existing Twin Bridges are left in place, to be used in addition to the new bridge.
He said leaving the Twin Bridges toll-free while charging tolls on the new bridge could pose a “challenge,” Boyett wrote. He said the toll revenues may not be sufficient to pay off the bonds for the new bridge.
The point may be that many of us locals might go out of the way, if we could, from the new Interstate 69 highway, which would run long-term from Michigan to Texas. Long-distance motorists would be unlikely to jog over to local bridges just to save a few bucks. But not so with local drivers.
Looney said many people cross the river on a regular basis to work, play and shop. The local connection in having to be toll-free is obvious, Looney said: “A day-to-day connectivity of the area.
It is a legitimate concern, yet it was just earlier this month that John Martin of the Evansville Courier & Press reported that the U.S. 41 Twin Bridges are showing their advanced age, pointing perhaps to the need for a new Ohio River transportation option in the next few years.
We are not transportation experts, but we need no expertise to see that the old bridges are looking pretty rough.
Martin quoted Kentucky officials who say the bridges are structurally sound, but the cost to keep them safe and functional is at least $1 million a year.
Indeed, the bridges may be safe, but they are becoming increasingly unsightly. Also, as gateways for both Evansville and Henderson, the bridges make a poor welcome for visitors. They make a poor first impression.
Nothing is set in stone: not bridge plans, not a bridge route, nor the Twin Bridges’ future. But it strikes us that if the Twin Bridges need to go, then perhaps therein lies the long-term answer to the issue.