Twin Bridges Construction Plans Change

Good news for anyone who travels the twin bridges - no more worries about construction delays. Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher says he is changing the construction plans, keeping all four lanes of traffic while the bridge is repainted. Right after plans were announced to close the northbound bridge completely, people who live and work in Henderson started complaining. It was those comments that made Governor Fletcher change the way construction is done. 40,000 people per day travel the twin bridges in and out of Henderson. When they heard one bridge was shutting down for months to do repairs, they were not happy. "If you cut that down youre cutting access, I think that would be devestating," says Ellis Park owner Ron Geary. Thats why Governor Ernie Fletcher changed construction plans keeping two lanes opening at all times while crews replace joints and repaint. "I thought people would be happy and they are but realized it can be done a different way." That different way is keeping one lane open on the north bound bridge and three open on the south bound bridge. Two will go south and one will go north. Each lane will be only 10 feet wide and the speed limit will be 35 miles an hour. The owner of Ellis Park complained to Fletcher about the orginial plans that called for an hour delay in traffic. "I think thats an unreasonable amount of impossion of pain and suffering on these areas," says Geary. But his comments were only one of many. Fletcher says it was actually a woman from Indiana who finally convinced him to change his plans. "I was just going around shaking hands and a lady from Indiana who didnt know who i was, says she was coming for her last meal." Though the going may be slow under this new plan at least the thousands who travel the bridges will still be moving through. Geary is cautiously optimistic about the plans, but wont know an exact date on construction for the next 4 to 6 weeks. This will increase the cost of construction several million dollars as well as delay construction on the southbound bridge.