Ferry Service Begins, Boat Operators Hope to Alleviate Bridge Congestion

In an attempt to provide commuters with a way to avoid the traffic snarls caused by the Sherman Minton Bridge closure, the Spirit of Jefferson steamboat began providing ferry service this morning. People boarded the boat in Indiana, and were dropped off in Louisville.Linda Harris is the CEO of the Belle of Louisville. She says only 58 people took the boat this morning.“But they were 58 very happy people and it was a wonderful way for them to get to work,” she said. “And we’re just expecting those numbers to increase daily. We really won’t be able to tell until the end of next week what kind of desire and appeal this will have.”Rides cost one dollar, but Harris says the organization isn’t trying to make money on the venture.“Certainly the Belle of Louisville is a not-for-profit organization,” she said. “So charging a dollar is really just a community service type of thing. We’re certainly not going to make any money on this venture, but we really hope to help out the traffic problems that everyone is dealing with.”Harris says the ferry service will last at least two full weeks, and maybe longer if there’s enough demand. Click here for a schedule.