Indiana and Kentucky are jointly applying for a $632.3 million federal grant for the Interstate 69 Ohio River Crossing project at Henderson, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana.
“Our administration has pledged to seek and compete for every available federal dollar for this much anticipated and long-needed project. This application, in concert with our partners at the Indiana Department of Transportation, follows through on that pledge,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release.
“Completing the crossing is critical for connectivity, safety and the competitiveness of our economies. But its importance extends far beyond this region, and that makes it worthy of significant federal funding. It’s important nationally because the crossing will close a major gap in the I-69 corridor. It’s important internationally because I-69 is a major freight corridor stretching from Canada to Mexico,” said Gov. Beshear.
Both the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) submitted application for funding through the Multimodal Discretionary Grant Program, which was created as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
If the funding is approved, the states will put forward $513.7 million from other funding sources. The states already have obligated $265 million toward environmental studies and construction of the first section of the project in Henderson.
The $1.4 billion project, which has been branded I-69 ORX, is one of three mega-projects that have been at the top of Gov. Beshear’s transportation priority list, along with the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project and the extension of the Mountain Parkway.
INDOT anticipates that over 50,000 vehicles will be using the I-69 bridge by 2045.
The new I-69 bridge will be constructed to be more resilient to extreme weather, and equipped in ways to improve safety, including efficient LED lighting and new signage.
“This project is critical to future economic development and equally important for safety,” Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. “It aligns with the goals and objectives of the National Roadway Safety Strategy from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve roadway safety and work toward zero fatalities on the nation’s roads.”
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Source: KYTC
