The Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority and Indiana reached an agreement to move forward with the $933 million I-69 bridge over the Ohio River. Kentucky will financing, planning, and construction of the bridge, with costs shared equally between the two states and about a third funded through tolls. Planning is expected to finish in 2026, with bidding to follow and the bridge projected to open in 2030 or 2031.
WPSD Local 6 reported:
The Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority was created by the General Assembly in 2009 to review, approve, and monitor certain significant transportation projects within between Kentucky and Indiana. It previously financed and oversaw the construction of new Ohio River bridges in Louisville.
Under the cooperative agreements, Kentucky will oversee the financing, planning and construction of the bridge. The bridge is estimated to cost $933 million dollars, which Indiana and Kentucky will be equally responsible for. Approximately a third of this cost will be funded through tolls mandated by the Kentucky General Assembly.
Once completed, the release states that I-69 will run from Canada to Mexico. I-69 follows the former Western Kentucky Parkway through Caldwell and Lyon counties, I-24 in Livingston and Marshall counties, and the former Julian Carroll Parkway through Marshall, Graves, Hickman and Fulton counties.
According to the release, significant upgrades have been made to the parkways to meet federal interstate highway standards and that Kentucky is nearing the completion of highway upgrades to connect the existing interstate the bridge. Indiana also is planning for upgrades south of Evansville.
