Tom Warne Report, 28 June 2012
LOUISVILLE – Federal transportation officials have announced the approval to begin construction of the Ohio River Bridges Project, a $2.6 billion plan for a downtown bridge, an east-end bridge and to reconstruct the Spaghetti Junction.
“We have received some monumental news this morning,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer at a press conference. “This means the project now has the green light to start construction.”
Kentucky transportation officials have been awaiting the Federal Highway Administration’s approval after submitting a scaled-down version of the project, which, in 2003, had a $4.1 billion price tag.
“After 40 years of debate, after 40 years of talk and after 40 years of discussion we are going to build these bridges,” Fischer said. Kentucky intends to break ground on the project by the end of the year, with the anticipation of 4,100 jobs coming to the region for the construction of the bridges.
Indiana plans to break ground on its first portion of the project in August. The Indiana Department of Transportation will construct a $5.5 million road extension of the Old Salem Road that will eventually connect the River Ridge Commerce Center to I-265 and the future east-end span that is currently in the procurement process.