JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) — Indiana Gov. Mike Braun sent a letter last month to the Federal Highway Administration with concerns about the proposed 2nd Street Bridge project.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced plans earlier this year to convert the 96-year-old bridge from four lanes to three. The change would leave only one lane carrying traffic from southern Indiana into Louisville.
Braun said the project could "negatively impact traffic flow" in Jeffersonville.
"I feel strongly that this project, as it is now, will not work," Braun said in the letter.
The plan calls for each lane to increase in width from 9.5 feet to 11 feet, KYTC said, allowing more room for cars despite the reduction in lanes. Work on the project, which is projected to cost $8 million, was slated to begin sometime in 2026, though KYTC said it did not have a definitive timeline. State workers said the project also would address deteriorating steel identified in recent KYTC inspections.
"The proposed configuration raises significant operational concerns for the City of Jeffersonville, particularly regarding the reduction of southbound traffic to one lane and the impact it will have on safety and traffic flow," Braun said in the letter.
The 2nd Street Bridge serves as a major connection between southern Indiana and Louisville, with thousands of drivers using it to get to work, school and businesses. A 2024 traffic count showed nearly 35,000 vehicles crossed the bridge each day, an increase from about 24,000 vehicles in 2020.
Braun requested that KYTC partner with the Indiana Department of Transportation to monitor and analyze traffic operations during construction, when traffic is expected to be reduced to one lane in each direction to remove the sidewalk.
"The impact on traffic flow and the routes motorists will use to avoid congestion should not be ignored," Braun said in the letter.
For commuters like Trevon Stovall, who uses the southbound lanes to get to work, traffic is already a daily headache. Stovall said his typical five-minute commute can easily turn into a 35-minute delay, and he fears the proposed lane reduction will make things significantly worse.
"It would make it worse," Stovall said. "There is less accessibility for cars...so, not a fan."
However, other drivers are willing to trade convenience for peace of mind following recent high-profile crashes on the bridge.
"Obviously, it will slow traffic down," driver Caden Kirby said. "But if that's what it takes for safety, that's what it takes."
Braun's letter comes several months after Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore penned his own letter about the proposal, offering three alternatives to KYTC's plan. Moore said state officials have a "difficult task" to keep the bridge viable long-term.Â
Moore's suggestions include reducing the price of crossing the three tolled bridges in the area, disincentivizing drivers from using the free 2nd Street Bridge; Restricting the ability for trucks to use the bridge; and Reversing the current plant to instead make the bridge two southbound lanes and one northbound lane.
KYTC said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear "has stated" his willingness to meet and discuss the project with both Moore and Braun. The agency said Beshear "reached out to schedule a meeting" with Moore, who "responded by insisting the meeting take place on the bridge where the project would occur, which makes scheduling difficult." The transportation cabinet said Braun has not reached out to request a meeting about the proposal.
The full letter from Braun can be read below:
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