Ohio River Crossing Team to Unveil Alternatives

Dan Prevost

Plans for a new bridge connecting Indiana and Kentucky are moving forward. Officials from the I-69 Ohio River Crossing Project Team will Wednesday unveil preliminary alternatives for the three proposed corridors being considered for the project in southwest Indiana.

The team says the information that will be detailed Wednesday includes the number of lanes needed for "long-term cross-river mobility" and how each of the alternatives meets that need. It will also include potential property impacts and financial feasibility.

The project team will also provide information on upcoming open houses where residents can learn more about the preliminary alternatives and provide feedback.

A preferred alternative is expected to be identified by this fall. Last month, I-69 ORX spokesperson Mindy Peterson told Inside INdiana Business once the preferred alternative is named, the project team will hold additional public hearings on both sides of the river. The team is expected to release a Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Record of Decision on the project in the fall of 2019.

Plans for the I-69 Ohio River Crossing Project were first announced in July 2016 by then-Governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. The project team released an infographic at the end of 2017 detailing the progress that had been made to that point and the expected timeline of what is to come: