Plans call for two northbound lanes into southern Indiana and one southbound lane into Louisville, though the project remains in the planning and design phase.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Kentucky transportation officials plan to reduce the Clark Memorial Bridge from four lanes to three later this year, a move expected to cause backups on the 96-year-old bridge and push more traffic toward existing toll bridges over the Ohio River.
Plans call for two northbound lanes into southern Indiana and one southbound lane into Louisville, though the project remains in the planning and design phase, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
KYTC spokesperson Morgan Woodrum said the change aims to improve safety and restore the bridge to its “normal weight carrying capacity.”
“We do recognize the fact that that could affect traffic flow,” Woodrum said. “We’re continuing to study those traffic patterns and we’re coordinating very closely with Jeffersonville city leaders, as well as INDOT, to evaluate any of those potential impacts.”
Mayor Craig Greenberg declined a one-on-one on-camera interview for the story Tuesday, and his office has not responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson shared a statement from the city’s transportation department saying they remain in “regular contact with KYTC.”
KYTC said the width of each lane would increase from 9.5 feet to 11 feet, providing more space for vehicles despite the reduced number of lanes. The project is expected to cost about $8 million, and work could begin sometime in 2026, though officials have not set a firm timeline. The work will also address steel deterioration identified during recent bridge inspections.
The most recent traffic count on the 2nd Street Bridge showed an average of 34,879 vehicles used it daily in 2024, up from 23,881 in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, a committee with the Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency changed the scope of work on the 2nd Street Bridge from “maintenance” to “repairs and configuration.” The public comment period for the amendment ran from Dec. 29 to Jan. 12. The only comment recommended adding a protected multi-use path or bike lane and suggested one lane for cars in each direction, though the commenter also expressed concern.
“Making it 1 lane southbound will hurt Indiana residents who rely on this bridge for a commute, and it will force more traffic onto the I-65 bridge,” the comment read. “Oppose.”
In late January, KIPDA’s Transportation Policy Committee approved the lane reduction without opposition or discussion.
Woodrum said public input is “not really required” at this stage of the project but added that officials have heard feedback from drivers and local leaders over the years.
“We understand that there will be frustrations due to possible traffic increase, but, ultimately, we are making sure that you are able to make it to school, work, the doctor, wherever you need to go,” Woodrum said. “That is our top priority.”
The Indiana Department of Transportation said KYTC owns and maintains the bridge but confirmed it will continue to communicate and coordinate throughout the project.
Before tolls were implemented, the Kennedy Bridge carrying Interstate 65 traffic over the Ohio River handled more than 120,000 vehicles daily. After completion of the Ohio River Bridges Project, that number dropped to around 80,000. Many drivers shifted to the 2nd Street Bridge, and since then, data from Kentucky State Police shows a noticeable increase in crashes.
Deterioration
The historic steel bridge stretches 5,746 feet long and spans just 38 feet wide. It has long carried four lanes of traffic, two in each direction. Recent high-profile crashes have increased the urgency for safety improvements, including one incident where Sydney Thomas’ truck dangled over the edge.
Crashes on the 2nd Street Bridge reached a six-year high in 2023, with more accidents involving tractor-trailers and other heavy trucks than at any point in at least a decade.
As recently as July 2025, some experts proposed reducing the bridge from four lanes to three to improve safety and manage traffic flow.
“Now we all get to figure out if the results of their studies make sense to all of us as well,” Indiana State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser, D-71, said at the time.
A consultant’s traffic count conducted for Kentucky and Indiana after tolling began on the RiverLink bridges estimated that 44,800 vehicles crossed the 2nd Street Bridge in 2018, up from 25,600 in 2013. Tolls were introduced on the nearby I-65 bridges and the upriver Lewis and Clark Bridge in late 2016. The 2018 count by HMB Professional Engineers found truck traffic also increased, rising from 2% of crossings in 2013 to 4% in 2018.
A state traffic count in 2020 showed trucks accounted for 11% of daily traffic on the bridge.
The bridge is considered “functionally obsolete” because its Depression-era design no longer meets modern standards, meaning it would likely be built differently if constructed today. It also lacks emergency lanes or shoulders.
During its last inspection in June 2022, the bridge received a satisfactory condition rating.
In December 2024, KYTC announced reduced weight limits for heavier vehicles such as tractor-trailers after inspections found deterioration in steel beams and connections. Officials said the damage had progressed enough to require new restrictions to protect the structure and maintain traffic safety.
The updated limits are:
Type I: 20 tons (no change)
Type II: 25 tons (previously 27 tons)
Type III: 29 tons (previously 34 tons)
Type IV: 36 tons (previously 40 tons)
5 Axles: 31 tons (previously 40 tons)
6 Axles: 32 tons (previously 40 tons)
7+ Axles: 34 tons (previously 41 tons)
KYTC advised vehicles exceeding those limits to use the Sherman Minton Bridge on Interstate 64 or the Lincoln and Kennedy bridges on Interstate 65 instead.
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