FLOYD COUNTY, Ind. — Floyd County leaders are pushing for tolls to be waived on bridges crossing the Ohio River during the Sherman Minton Renewal Project, which is slated to start in the spring of 2021.
The Floyd County Council passed a resolution unanimously Tuesday calling for toll forgiveness for Indiana commuters during the time the Sherman Minton is under construction.
"We're just looking out for our constituents and commuters," said Floyd County Council President Brad Striegel.
The pandemic has caused financial stress on southern Indiana businesses and residents. As the renewal project looms ahead, Striegel said he's concerned about the impact the project will make on the community.
'We know that there are commuters that are not going to be able to sit through the shut down sit through lane changes and that will have to go across bridges that have tolls that they wouldn't normally have to do," said Striegel. "Tolls are not cheap, and that is an added expense to a weekly or monthly income for someone and, quite frankly, some people are just not able to afford or to absorb that into their income, especially in the COVID 19 environment."
The resolution asks for toll forgiveness, but Striegel said if that isn't possible, they're asking for other types of relief.
"We are trying to encourage the people that do have the ability to make decisions just to really consider the impact that this has on people, on their commuting, on their safety, on their finances," he said.
The New Albany City Council has already passed a similar resolution that calls on INDOT to waive toll fees on the Kennedy, Lincoln and Lewis and Clark bridge during the Sherman Minton renewal.
The INDOT commissioner wrote a letter in response, which says the ultimate decision is up to the bi-state tolling body. The letter mentions the effort INDOT has already done to come up with a plan for the project that will have a low impact on travelers and says the Clark Memorial bridge will still be a toll free option.
The commissioner did say he is taking the concerns to the bi-state tolling body. It's unclear when or if a decision will be made.