Tolling on the Louisville – Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project is scheduled to begin tomorrow. Tolling is scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. Friday, December 30 on the new SR 265 Lewis and Clark Bridge, the new I-65 Abraham Lincoln Bridge and the improved I-65 Kennedy Bridge.
The Kennedy and Lincoln bridges provide 12 lanes of I-65 traffic connecting Downtown Louisville and Southern Indiana. The Lincoln Bridge carries six lanes of I-65 North traffic, and the Kennedy carries six lanes of I-65 South traffic. The Lewis and Clark Bridge, which opened to traffic Dec. 18, connects the Gene Snyder Freeway in Prospect, Ky. with State Road 265 in Utica, Ind.
RiverLink is all-electronic tolling, with no toll booths, no coin machines, no lines and no stopping.
Information for Drivers
It’s important for drivers to remember that tolling will not change their commute. They should not slow or stop while approaching the tolled bridges. All-electronic tolling means all drivers are able to move at the speed of traffic, with no slowing and no delays.
Drivers with transponders will pay the lowest rates. Sensors read transponders, and the appropriate toll is deducted from prepaid accounts. Cameras will capture the license plates of drivers without transponders, and bills will be sent in the mail.
Toll rates range from $2-12, depending on the size of the vehicle and whether the driver has a RiverLink account and transponder. A driver in a passenger vehicle with a transponder will pay $2 to cross a tolled bridge. A driver in a passenger vehicle without a transponder will pay $4.
Drivers have the option of selecting a RiverLink local transponder or a RiverLink E-ZPass transponder. A RiverLink local transponder is free, one per registered vehicle. The small sticker adheres to the inside of the windshield, is non-transferable and works only on the Lewis and Clark, Lincoln and Kennedy bridges.
A RiverLink E-ZPass transponder is $15. It’s portable from vehicle to vehicle registered to a single account and works in all 16 E-ZPass states. All E-ZPass transponders are accepted by the RiverLink system.
Drivers can register additional license plates to their RiverLink E-ZPass transponders online at www.riverlink.com, by phone or in person at a customer service center.
Mounting Transponders
Drivers need to have their transponders properly mounted before the start of tolling. A transponder is placed on the inside of the windshield near the rearview mirror, as high and as central as possible. It may be placed on the driver side or passenger side.
Transponders should be mounted three inches away from any metal, tint, antenna or defroster.
Drivers should avoid extreme temperatures when mounting their transponders. During cold weather, drivers can warm their car for a few minutes before mounting a transponder.
Drivers Waiting for Transponders
Thousands of drivers have opened RiverLink accounts over the past several days. Not all drivers have received their transponders. If accounts have been processed and transponders have been assigned to licenses plates, drivers will receive the lowest rates until they receive their transponders.
License plates will be scanned and the transponder rate applied until transponders are delivered. Drivers must receive and properly mount their transponders before crossings count toward the frequent-user discount.
Drivers Who Need to Open Accounts
It’s not too late for drivers to open their RiverLink accounts. They will begin paying the lowest rates as soon as an account is processed, and a transponder is assigned to the license plate. The sooner accounts are opened, the faster savings will begin.
Drivers can open accounts online at www.RiverLink.com, by phone at 855-RIV-LINK or in person at one of two customer service centers. The website is the fastest option to open an account. It’s open 24 hours a day/7 days a week with no wait. Customers opening accounts online or by phone will have their transponders mailed to them.
More than 150,000 RiverLink transponders have been requested to date, including more than 125,000 RiverLink local transponders and nearly 28,000 RiverLink E-ZPass transponders. Nearly 67,000 families and more than 2,200 businesses have opened RiverLink accounts.
Just over 110,000 drivers are expected to use the tolled bridges each day.
Customer service centers are located at 400 E. Main St. in Louisville and 103 Quartermaster Ct. in Jeffersonville. The centers are open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Friday. They are also open 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.
With tolling starting on December 30, customer service centers and the RiverLink call center will be open, as normal, on Saturday, December 31 (8 a.m. – 2 p.m.) and Monday, January 2 (7 a.m. – 7 p.m.).