Area cyclists knew it was coming; now we must deal with it. New Albany Tribune: Troubled bridge to get fix-up; Other construction projects soon to begin in Clark, Floyd, by Chris Morris.
The “old” Spring Street bridge over Silver Creek will soon have to be renamed.
Beginning Sunday, the bridge that links Clark and Floyd counties will be closed for remodeling. The work could last up to eight months. The bridge was constructed in 1924 and has been in need of repair for several years.
As noted earlier this week at the recently established New Albany Bicycle Coalition blog, the "old" Silver Creek bridge is the major cycling conduit eastward for those traveling from New Albany to Clarksville, Jeffersonville and Louisville.
UPDATED: Spring St./Old 131 bridge to close by next Monday.
Thinking in the longer term, there is a viable answer closer to home – but will it ever be opened for use?
New Albany Tribune: Railroad says K&I Bridge won’t open to walkers; Officials hope to convince Norfolk Southern otherwise, by Kyle Lowry.
A campaign to spearhead the opening of the Kentucky & Indiana Bridge to pedestrian and bike traffic has been nixed by the company that owns the railroad ...
... (The Greenway Commission’s Valla Ann) Bolovschak remains optimistic about someday taking a walk on the K&I Bridge despite the railroad’s position.
We’ve known all along that the railroad would cite liability concerns as the prime reason not to cooperate.
Let’s hope that Valla Ann’s dogged organizational prowess makes inroads with the railroad on behalf of an idea that is far past due.
For the record, I was rather disappointed with the Tribune's somewhat negative reporting on the K&I Bridge pedway initiative.
ReplyDeleteI asked VA who Rudy Husband with Norfolk Southern is; he isn't one of the people who has been involved in the communications that have been going on between NS and groups like Louisville Waterfront Development, MSD, etc., who are committed to opening the bridge to pedestrians.
And as a matter of note, the railroads always say NO to everything initially, and they usually cite their liability.
I fully believe that this bridge will be opened as a pedway, because there are too many determined people working to make it a reality.
Google the phrase "Harper's Ferry Bridge", and you'll be able to see how a working railroad bridge and pedway can, and do, peacefully co-exist.
Indeed, the article seemed disjointed.
ReplyDeleteI share your optimism.
Hopefully, the article doesn't accurately reflect the actual situation.
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity, though, who has jurisdiction over local railroad rights-of-way?