A long time coming: Ohio River Bridges Project breaks ground in Jeffersonville

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Indiana and Kentucky officials let the dirt fly at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the East End Bridge Crossing Thursday in Jeffersonville. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear holds up a 1990's bumper sticker while delivering his remarks at the East End Bridge Crossing groundbreaking Thursday in Jeffersonville. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear jokes with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels as they arrive for the East End Bridge Crossing groundbreaking Thursday in Jeffersonville. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore and Utica Town board President Hank Dorman arrive at the East End Bridge Crossing groundbreaking ceremony in a 1960's Ford Mustang. The cars represented the era in which the East End Bridge was added to the region's long range transportation plans. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
Members of the Henryville High School Choir perform "My Old Kentucky Home" and "(Back Home Again in) Indiana" at the East End Bridge Crossing groundbreaking Thursday. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
A large crowd assembled on the Eagle Steel dock at the Port of Indiana in Jeffersonville Thursday to watch the groundbreaking for the East End Bridge Crossing. Staff photo by C.E. Branham

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August 30, 2012

A long time coming: Ohio River Bridges Project breaks ground in Jeffersonville

By BRADEN LAMMERS braden.lammers@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Thu Aug 30, 2012, 06:36 PM EDT

JEFFERSONVILLE — The first shovels of dirt were turned over to mark the groundbreaking of the Ohio River Bridges Project on Thursday.

Federal, state and local officials, along with a crowd of several hundred people, gathered at Eagle Steel in the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville to mark the occasion that signified the start of the $2.6 billion bi-state project to construct an east-end bridge, a new downtown bridge and reconstruct Spaghetti Junction.

From the vintage cars and bus that brought officials to the groundbreaking, the audience was repeatedly reminded how long the project had been in the discussion stage.

“After 43 years of talk, this project is finally a reality,” said Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore at the opening of the ceremony.

“It’s about time,” added Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.

The more recent efforts to launch the project began in February 2010 when Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and then-Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson named 14 members to the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority and tasked them with devising a financing plan for the bridges project.

The plan eventually developed will split the project’s cost between each state at $1.3 billion, respectively. Indiana is responsible for constructing the east-end bridge and its approaches and Kentucky responsible for constructing the new downtown bridge, its approaches and rebuilding Spaghetti Junction.

Groundbreaking employment

The groundbreaking Thursday didn’t mark the beginning of bridge construction or the construction of a direct approach to one of the new bridges, but the 3,000-foot extension of Old Salem Road, which will be the first exit on the Indiana side of the Ohio River at the east-end bridge. The road also will provide improved access to the River Ridge Commerce Center and the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville.

Clarksville-based Gohmann Asphalt and Construction Inc. was awarded the $3.2 million contract for the road extension, with construction expected to begin this fall and for the road to open in June 2013.

But for the officials in attendance, the ceremony meant more than moving forward with construction plans.

“We’re also about jobs,” Fischer said. “That is what all of this is about. Not just the construction jobs, but the jobs that are coming after these bridges.”

Once completed, the east-end bridge will connect Prospect, Ky., to Utica, just south of River Ridge. When the record-of-decision was returned earlier this spring, officials cited a number of business inquiries into development at the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.

“The investors of this world don’t wait for a project to be completed,” Daniels said. “Obviously, the sooner you can get it in service the sooner you begin to get the real payoff, which is new jobs and better quality of life. I believe it will begin to unlock investment,” he said of the bridges project breaking ground. “This is a very high payoff project without question.”

Daniels said he was assured the project will provide a benefit to Hoosiers and it will pay for itself many times over in new jobs, taxes and savings of time and lives.

“There is nothing more satisfying in life to be part of something you know, to a certainty, that is going to make life a lot better to a lot of people,” he said. “Nowhere am I as certain about the payoff as I am with these bridges. We know this. It has been studied and restudied, and validated and revalidated for decades.”

Issues outstanding

Despite being assured of the payoff, several controversies still surrounding the Ohio River Bridges Project.

On the Indiana side of the Ohio River, the disproportionate amount of money some Hoosiers believe they will have to pay to use the crossings is still an issue. When asked about an economic impact study commissioned by the Indiana Finance Authority that cited that Hoosiers will pay tolls at a rate of about four-to-one, Daniels said he didn’t believe it would be a burden to residents.

“I think the good thing is nobody has to spend a penny,” he said. “If they don’t think it’s worth their time, they won’t use it. It’s better than if we tax them for a bridge they never use. All that would mean is Hoosiers would see four times as much value as Kentuckians, more Hoosiers are getting the value from the project. There is no more fair way to finance something like this.”

Beshear agreed and said that there will still be free access for commuters on the Sherman Minton and Clark Memorial Bridge.

Multiple anti-tolling groups have specifically opposed placing tolls on existing infrastructure — such as the Kennedy Bridge downtown.

Both governors added that a $1 local commuter rate is still a goal for tolling the east-end and downtown bridges, including the Kennedy Bridge.

“We’re going to keep the tolls very manageable,” Beshear said.

Another source of contention for those who have closely followed the development of the bridges project is the tunnel along Kentucky’s east-end approach to the bridge under the historic Drumanard Estate. The validity of Drumanard’s historic designation has been argued, and upheld, along with calls to change the plans for a tunnel to an open-cut or cut-and-cover tunnel to save the project money.

Daniels again said the project as a whole is more important than focusing on the tunnel.

“We agree we would rather not spend as much on that tunnel, but the whole project has become so much more affordable that of course it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Daniels added that he hopes the states are not done in finding cost savings for the project.

“We may be able to see further economies on top of ... [what has] already been saved,” he said.

And before the states break ground on the bridges or the direct approaches, several steps must still be completed.

What’s next

The next step for Indiana and Kentucky is to reach an agreement on a bi-state development agreement.

Steve Schultz — special adviser to Indiana on the Ohio River Bridges Project and formerly executive director of the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority — said the agreement may be finalized in the next few weeks. He said that will provide the framework for getting a tolling policy agreement in place and help assemble the tolling body that will determine the policy.

Indiana is set to receive its request-for-proposal Oct. 26 with the evaluation and selection process commercial close set to wrap up in mid-December, Schultz said. He added financial close is expected by early in 2013.

“If all goes well we’d be ready for the construction season in 2013,” he said.

Kentucky is on a similar track in order to break ground early next year.

“Kentucky will be breaking ground early next year after we choose our contractor,” Beshear said. “I think that process is supposed to finish in late November, early December. We’re at a point where everybody on both sides of this river can be sure that these bridges are going to be built.”

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A long time coming: Ohio River Bridges Project breaks ground in Jeffersonville

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