Coast Guard approves I-69 Evansville-Henderson Ohio River crossing bridge options

Those could include both single span or twin span configurations, said Dan Prevost, lead environmental consultant for the I-69 crossing project.

Coast Guard approval for both bridge options gives the bi-state team steering the project more flexibility for what type of bridge it can build as work continues on narrowing down a final corridor for the interstate crossing, said Mindy Peterson, spokeswoman for the group. In turn, that flexibility could potentially lead to savings in construction costs.

I-69 Ohio River Crossing is a collaboration of the Indiana Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

The navigation clearance study done for the Coast Guard this summer is one of many technical studies and reports that will make up the draft environmental impact statement for the I-69 crossing. 

While it may appear not much has been done since the last round of public hearings on the I-69 crossing in July, Prevost said more than 20 technical studies are underway for the environmental impact statement.

The voluminous report is expected to be published in fall 2018, Peterson said, and will include evaluations of the ecological and economic impacts of the three routes being considered. The studies include everything from wetland and wildlife habitat surveys to historic property surveys, as well as evaluation of the existing U.S. 41 bridges, traffic modeling, noise and visual impacts and potential effects on low income and minority populations in the three corridors. 

The draft environmental impact statement also will include the steering group's recommended corridor route for the crossing, Peterson said. Once it is finished, there will be more public hearings leading to a final environmental impact statement and record of decision.

In the meantime, Peterson said another round of public meetings will take place this winter, most likely in February, that will provide much more detailed information about the routes I-69 will probably take within each of the proposed corridors.

Three routes for a new bridge remain under consideration. Possible configurations of the bridges for each corridor have not been decided yet:

• West Corridor 1 would impact residential communities along U.S. 41. A six-lane bridge could be built, and the existing U.S. 41 twin bridges could possibly be removed from service.
• West Corridor 2 would impact businesses and some residences along U.S. 41. It might also involve a six-lane bridge, and the existing U.S. 41 twin bridges could also be removed from service.
• Central Corridor 1 would cross the Ohio River east of Ellis Park and link to I-69 (the current U.S. 41) at a new interchange south of U.S. 60 in Henderson. It could possibly be a four-lane bridge. And under this option, the future of the U.S. 41 twin bridges is undetermined. It is possible one or both could remain in service.
• A fourth option — not building a bridge at all — exists for the sake of comparison and is required by law, officials with I-69 Ohio River Crossing said.