State and local officials have broken ground on an approach to the planned I-69 bridge that will connect Evansville and Henderson. WNIN’s John Gibson was there:
They gathered in front of heavy machinery that will begin construction of a new Highway 41 -- I-69 interchange, south of the current 41-U.S.60 cloverleaf.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear praised the efforts:
"In a world where it seems like everybody's always arguing, think about what we are accomplishing here together between these two states. And it's pretty simple: it's just putting our people and our families in this region first."
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke touted efforts on the Indiana side of the Ohio River:
"And we are bridge ready, bridge ready in southwest Indiana.”
Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray says the project is on time and if it stays that way, the new four-lane bridge could open in less than ten years:
"2030, 2031for the bridge to be completed, for the approaches to be finished, for traffic, for freight, for passenger vehicles, all to be traveling on this really extraordinary, new connecting project."
The toll bridge would be east of the current Twin Bridges.
Plans call for removing one of the existing bridges and keeping the other for local traffic.