News Item #1605

In June, KYTC closed the southbound sidewalk on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge between Louisville and Jeffersonville after an inspection found deteriorating steel beams and concrete. The northbound sidewalk had been closed since December 2024, so the bridge is now completely closed to pedestrians. The bridge remains safe for vehicles. KYTC is developing a rehabilitation project to restore the bridge's full weight capacity and is considering cutting it from four lanes to three, with wider lanes and room for pedestrians and cyclists. That plan was put on pause during the I-65 work.

The lane reduction, which would leave a single inbound lane into Louisville, has drawn growing pushback from Indiana. Jeffersonville's mayor called for Kentucky leaders to come to the table, and Indiana politicians asked federal officials to block the plan. Courier Journal columnist Joseph Gerth argued the bridge's congestion comes from drivers avoiding tolls on the Kennedy and Lincoln bridges and from today's wider vehicles, and suggested lower tolls as a fix.

Sources:

• WLKY: Clark Memorial Bridge sidewalks closed, leaving pedestrians with no access 
• Courier Journal: Clark Memorial Bridge plans on pause during I-65 roadwork, KYTC says 
• Courier Journal: Indiana pushback against Louisville bridge project heats up 
• Courier Journal: Gerth: We could solve Clark Bridge traffic with lower tolls (opinion)