INDOT breaks ground on I-69 Ohio River Crossing project

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The office of Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, along with officials from the Indiana Department of Transportation, recently broke ground on the Ohio River Crossing project on I-69.

According to a news release, INDOT is overseeing the $202 million project. Construction is expected to begin later this month and will continue through 2026. It is aimed to complete “the key connection between Indiana and Kentucky.”

“This is another day to remember for all Hoosiers,” Holcomb said in the release. “Today signifies a key milestone toward completing the most direct, safe, and efficient connection between Evansville and Henderson.  This additional crossing will open the door to limitless new opportunities for transportation, economic and community development projects. I’m both grateful and proud to stand here today with so many local leaders who have worked for decades to convert ideas into blueprints, and blueprints into new connections. Indiana continues to pave a road to a brighter future due to our collaborative Hoosier work ethic.”

The project is separated into three sections for construction:

• Section one focuses on improvements in Henderson, Kentucky and extends from KY 425 to U.S. 60. It includes a more than six-mile extension of I-69, new interchanges with U.S. 41 and U.S. 60 and a reconstructed KY 351 interchange. This is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
• Section two is a bi-state project between Kentucky and Indiana that will complete the I-69 connection from U.S. 60 in Henderson to I-69 in Evansville, including the four-lane river crossing. Constructed is anticipated to begin in 2027 and be complete by 2031.
• Section three focuses on the approach roadways and bridges in Indiana that will provide all-weather construction access to the river for the section two project. These are the roads and bridges used by construction crews to build the new crossing.

“We know how important this future I-69 bridge is to Evansville and the surrounding region,” INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith said in the release. “Indiana has led the way in investing in I-69. Last month, we made the vital connection between Evansville and Indianapolis a reality and crossed the I-69 Finish Line, making it even more fitting that we’re here today, taking the first steps toward completing another key connection.”

In a statement from Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch about the groundbreaking, she said:

“As co-author of the Major Moves legislation as a state representative, it’s great to see continued progress toward the completion of I-69 with the groundbreaking of the Ohio River Crossing. Living in Evansville, I know the addition of this bridge will expand interstate connectivity in our state and increase accessible travel throughout southern Indiana.”

For more information about the project, click here .

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