HW Lochner organised the exercise in response to speculation about the visual impact and height of the Kentucky approach to the East End Bridge ' part of a US$1.9 billion project to provide two new bridges over the Ohio River.
The firm arranged for the oversized balloons to be elevated to the anticipated height of the planned structure along the Kentucky approach. 'Balloon testing gives the design team and the people living near the bridge route a unique perspective on what this project will look like and how it might impact the physical environment,' said Lochner's project manager for the approach, Jerry Leslie. He added that feedback from the exercise will help in development of the design. Photographs of the event will also be used to determine the measures needed to screen the bridge approach from historic sites.
The East End Bridge is part of the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges project. The project also includes a new downtown span just east of the Kennedy Bridge and a rebuild of the Kennedy Interchange in downtown Louisville. Completion is tentatively scheduled for 2020.
