Kentucky- Indiana Bridge Authority must be created to move ahead on new Henderson Bridge

This month, I-69 advocacy groups from Indiana and Kentucky – Hoosier Voices for I-69 and Chamber Leadership Initiatives for Northwestern Kentucky (C-LINK) – will meet in an annual joint session, bringing together community leaders from both sides of the river in a continued effort to advance the project that will provide new opportunities to all eight states in the I-69 corridor.


In both Kentucky and Indiana, 2012 is an exciting year for I-69.  This fall the State of Indiana is scheduled to have sections 1, 2 and 3 completed, taking I-69 from just north of Evansville to the Crane Naval base.  In 2014 Section 4 is scheduled for completion allowing interstate travel between Bloomington and Evansville.


Section 5, the Bloomington to Martinsville segment, will soon be in the hands of the Federal Highway Administration for approval and will upgrade State Road 37 to federal interstate standards.  Section 6 is in planning stages and over the next few years we can expect steady progress to fully connect Southwest Indiana with the state capitol via the long awaited Interstate 69.

Kentucky is also rapidly moving ahead.  I-69 shields are going up on 38 miles of what was formerly a portion of the Western Kentucky Parkway as well as 17 miles shared with Interstate 24. Projects to further upgrade the WK, Pennyrile and Purchase parkways are well under way.  Soon the future I-69 corridor signs will come down as those roads become a true interstate.

While the two groups have much to celebrate, their work will continue on a critical, yet still missing link: a new I-69 Ohio River bridge connecting Evansville, IN and Henderson KY. At this time we are covered by two bridges, one northbound and one southbound, between Evansville and Henderson.  These vital links see heavy traffic daily from local commuters, local business traffic and cross state commerce.  In the months and years ahead, as I-69 is completed in Indiana and Kentucky, this traffic will increase.


The Bi-State Vietnam Gold Star Twin Bridges have served our communities well.  The east bridge was completed in 1932.  The west bridge was open to traffic in 1966.  As sturdy and durable as these bridges have proven to be, they are getting old and will be further strained by increased I-69 traffic.  A new bridge project of this scope takes years and even decades to complete. As the bridges continue to age, interstate highway traffic will travel the bridges and through Henderson’s US 41 until our two states prioritize the identification of funding and construction of a new link.


The time to act is now.  Hoosier Voices for I-69 and C-LINK encourage the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to continue work on forming the bi-state authority needed to construct the bridge and advance the appropriate studies necessary to gain federal approval.  The Evansville and Henderson metropolitan areas need this vital link to support the demands of a new interstate, provide relief to aging bridges, and enhance the economic vitality of our region.


We encourage anyone who is concerned about the region’s continued economic prosperity to contact their federal and state legislators and urge them to move forward to build the I-69 bridge at Henderson!

Harriett Whitaker, President

Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce