Interstate 69 Ohio River Bridge

The Interstate 69 Ohio River Crossing (I-69 ORX) is proposed bridge to carry the planned Interstate 69 (I-69) extension over the Ohio River between Evansville, Indiana, and Henderson, Kentucky. The bridge and its approach roadways make up a portion of Segment of Independent 4 utility (SIU 4) of the I-69 corridor from Michigan to Texas. It will be built approximately three miles (4.8 km) upstream of the existing Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Bridges carrying U.S. Route 41 (US 41).

Interstate 69 Ohio River Crossing
Coordinates37°54′16″N 87°31′10″W
Carries I-69
CrossesOhio River
LocaleBetween Evansville, Indiana and Henderson, Kentucky, largely but not completely within Kentucky
OwnerINDOT
KYTC
Websitei69ohiorivercrossing.com
History
Construction cost~$1.5 billion

Description

The design of the I-69 Ohio River Crossing has not yet been defined. A $17 million contract to be awarded by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) in late 2016 will employ a consulting firm to complete required environmental studies and preliminary design of the bridge. Completion of that work is scheduled for the end of 2020.

The I-69 ORX will be constructed about three miles (4.8 km) east (upstream) of the existing US 41 bridges linking Evansville, Indiana, with Henderson, Kentucky. The northern approach to the bridge will tie into the existing I-69 (formerly I-164) freeway between Green River Road and Weinbach Avenue along Evansville's southeast side. On the Kentucky side, the southern approach is planned to tie into I-69 (formerly the Pennyrile Parkway) at the interchange with the Henderson Bypass (US-41/KY-425). No interchanges are planned on the Indiana approach, while interchanges with the Audubon Parkway and US 60 are planned on the Kentucky approach.

Status

Progress stalls due to funding issues

Environmental studies were initiated in 2001, and a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) was issued in March 2004. Environmental studies were suspended when no funding source was identified to build the bridge, which is estimated to cost $1.4 billion.[1][2] Kentucky is responsible for financing two-thirds (approx. $933.3 million) of the construction cost, and Indiana will finance the remaining third (approx. $466.6 million). Indiana has funding available for its portion of the project through the state's Major Moves program, but Kentucky has yet to identify a dedicated funding source for its portion of the cost.

The I-69 bridge had been competing for funding against other Ohio River bridge projects that Kentucky is attempting to complete, most notably the recently completed Ohio River Bridges Project between Louisville and southern Indiana, and the proposed Brent Spence Bridge replacement project between Covington and Cincinnati, Ohio. As a matter of historical antecedence the Ohio River boundary of lands that now constitute Kentucky is founded not upon the thalweg but is set by the precedence of royal proclamations and treaties to be the river's low-water point on north or west bank of the Ohio River, an alignment that precedes the Northwest Ordnance. Because of this, the fiscal burden of construction of infrastructure projects as between Kentucky and her Ohio River boundary-sister states (i.e., in the construction of bridges), falls primarily upon Kentucky alone. However, unlike the Twin Bridges, this bridge will be at least 10% within the boundaries of Indiana.

The Kentucky Legislature passed House Bill 3 in 2008 that authorizes the state to establish joint bridge authorities with Indiana to finance and build crossings of the Ohio River, specifically with these three megaprojects in mind. While a joint authority has been established to advance work on the Louisville bridges, Kentucky officials have opted to wait on establishing a similar authority for the I-69 bridge until construction on the Louisville bridges is underway.[3]

Renewed effort to complete

With the completion of SIU 5 in Kentucky in 2015, and with I-69 connected to Indianapolis via State Road 37 (SR 37) in Indiana (also in 2015), both states have made completing the Ohio River Crossing a top priority. On June 30, 2016, Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin announced an agreement to resume environmental studies and develop a funding strategy to complete the Ohio River Bridge and its approaches. Indiana will contribute $17 million to restart and lead the environmental studies that will culminate in an approved environmental impact statement (EIS) and record of decision (ROD) that will allow construction to begin. Environmental studies are expected to take about three years to complete, with right-of-way acquisition and construction expected to begin thereafter. Kentucky has committed over $43 million in its 2016 Six-Year Highway Plan for design and right-of-way acquisition for the bridge.[4][5] Revisions to the Ohio River Bridge concept have helped reduce its estimated cost from the initial estimate of $1.4 billion to $845 million. Both states are considering a combination of tolls, private sector investment, and traditional funding sources to finance construction of the bridge. On November 16, 2016 INDOT and KYTC announced the selection of Parsons Corporation of Pasadena, California to complete environmental studies and design of the I-69 Ohio River Bridge.[6] Parsons recently led the engineering and design work for the Ohio River Bridges Project between Louisville, Kentucky and southern Indiana.[7]

The DEIS for the Ohio River Crossing was published on December 14, 2018, which selected Central Corridor 1 as the preferred alternative. The estimated cost to complete the segment is around $1.5 billion, which will be at least partially funded with tolls. The final EIS and ROD are expected to be released in late 2020 or early 2021. Subject to the availability of funding, construction on the bridge approaches may begin in 2022. Management of the bridge's construction and operations is still under discussion. One option is for INDOT and the KYTC to jointly manage construction and operation of the bridge. Also being discussed is the formation of a bi-state bridge authority to oversee the construction and operations of the I-69 ORX.[8]

Funding proposed

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had proposed $267 million in funding for the bridge: $77 million from 2020 to 2022 and the rest from 2023 to 2026. A portion of the approach roadways would be built: from Kentucky Route 425 or the Henderson Bypass to US 60. The Kentucky General Assembly approved $37 million in Fiscal Years 2020 through 2022 for design, right-of-way, utility relocation, and initial construction between KY-425 and US-60, which includes a new interchange with the Audubon Parkway. The approved amount is much less than what was originally proposed due to budget shortfalls stemming from the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.[9] On May 14, 2020, the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization approved an additional $15 million that will enable INDOT and KYTC to complete environmental studies and begin preliminary design.[10] Tolls are expected to cover between $250 million and $500 million of the bridge's construction cost, depending on the alternative selected.[11]

Controversy Over the Future of the US-41 Bridges

A major sticking point that has slowed progress on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the I-69 ORX is the future of the US-41 bridges. Kentucky officials favor reducing the US-41 bridges from two to one, which would be toll-free for local traffic. Residents and local officials in Henderson and Evansville favor keeping both US-41 bridges without tolls. Kentucky officials have stated that it would not be financially viable to maintain both US-41 bridges without tolls after the I-69 ORX is built. Both states also want to avoid a situation where the US-41 bridges become a toll free alternative for long-distance traffic.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Project Status: Build I-69".
  2. "Kentucky I-69 Status, C-LINK Website, November 26, 2010". Archived from the original on October 4, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  3. "Advocate optimistic about I-69: State moving ahead with construction despite bridge issue". Evansville Courier-Press. August 11, 2010.
  4. "Pence, Bevin sign agreement to ramp up plans for I-69 bridge". Evansville Courier Press. June 30, 2016.
  5. "2016 Six Year Highway Plan" (PDF). Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. January 26, 2016.
  6. "Private firm selected for 3-year I-69 bridge study".
  7. "Ohio River Bridges".
  8. I-69 ORX project team announces preferred route for new Evansville-Henderson bridge, Evansville Courier-Press, Dec 14, 2018
  9. [Kentucky General Assembly, House Bill 354, https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/20rs/budget/HB354/SCS1.pdf, accessed April 28, 2020]
  10. [$15M approved for I-69 bridge project, WFIE-TV, May 14, 2020, https://www.14news.com/2020/05/15/m-approved-i-bridge-project/]
  11. "Questions About Funding, I-69 ORX Project". Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  12. [I-69 bridge Project Team says work continues on steps to move project forward Evansville Courier and Press, Jun 11, 2020, https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/2020/06/11/69-bridge-team-work-continues-final-plan/5341854002/]
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