Daniels, Beshear Reach Agreement On Ohio River Bridges

A rendering of what the soon-to-be-built East End bridge connecting Utica, Indiana and Prospect, Kentucky will look like.

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(Louisville, Ky.) - Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear have reached an agreement to pay for two new bridges over the Ohio River. 

The two governors met Monday in Louisville to sign a memorandum of understanding which lays out each state’s responsibilities with the new bridges.

Construction will start later this year and cost about $1.5 billion less than original estimates.  The overall project cost is tagged at $2.6 billion.

The bridges will be completed in about six years. 

“Decades of waiting for greater convenience and quality of life in the metro area will soon be over, but that’s only part of what’s ahead: Southern Indiana has tremendous economic prospects and these new bridges are the key to making them real,” said Governor Mitch Daniels on Monday.

Kentucky will oversee financing and construction of the new I-65 bridge in Louisville. The project will also reconfigure the nearby Kennedy Bridge and modernize downtown interchanges.

Indiana will oversee construction of the East End bridge between Utica and Prospect, Kentucky. The bridge will link the Lee Hamilton Expressway in Indiana and the Gene Snyder Freeway in Kentucky.

“Through cooperation and determination, we will achieve what this region has talked about – but been unable to deliver – for four decades,” said Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear.

Tolls will be placed on the two new bridges as well as the upgraded Kennedy Bridge. Frequently crossing passenger vehicles would pay around $1 per trip across, other cars about $2, panel trucks roughly $5, and tractor trailers in the $10 range.