been expected to see major increases in traffic following the completion of the Ohio River Bridges Project at the end of 2016. The project included repurposing the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge, which previously carried I-65 in both directions, for southbound traffic only; building the new Abraham Lincoln Bridge for northbound I-65 traffic; and building the Lewis and Clark Bridge to connect I-265 in the two states. The two I-65 crossings and the I-265 bridge are tolled to pay for the project, leaving the Sherman Minton as the only free interstate-quality river crossing in the Louisville area. One consultant who worked on a transportation study for the Kentucky government predicted that traffic on the Sherman Minton would increase by nearly 40% once tolling on the other bridges started. Construction The bridge is a double-deck configuration—westbound traffic from Kentucky to Indiana travels on the upper deck of the bridge, while eastbound traffic from Indiana into Kentucky travels on the lower deck of the bridge. It is of similar construction to the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis, Tennessee (but the de Soto Bridge is single-deck). The steel used was T1 steel, which in the early 1960s was "innovative material" but is much weaker than modern steel. Classification of the bridge is "fracture critical" because if one part of the bridge should fail, the entire bridge could be at risk. See also List of crossings of the Ohio River List of bridges in the United States Ohio River Bridges Project List of longest arch bridge spans Cityscape of Louisville, Kentucky References 'Works cited External links Sherman Minton Bridge at Bridge Hunter Sherman Minton Bridge at Bridges & Tunnels Sherman Minton Bridge at Kentucky Roads Briefing (video): Sherman Minton Bridge repairs to take six months, cost $20M (October 1, 2011) Forum to discuss the bridge Bridges completed in 1962 Minton Bridges over the Ohio River Buildings and structures in New Albany, Indiana Double-decker bridges Interstate 64 Through arch bridges in the United States Transportation buildings and structures in Floyd County, Indiana U.S. Route 150 Road bridges in Indiana Road bridges in Kentucky Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Steel bridges in the United States