Seven years after completing the Ohio River Bridges Project, Indiana and Kentucky are well underway with another partnership, I-69 ORX, to build a three-section megaproject to connect Evansville, Ind., and Henderson, Ky. The $158-million Section 1, led by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, began last year and includes a six-mile extension of I-69, 15 new and rehabilitated bridges, new interchanges at U.S. Routes 41 and 60 and a reconstructed interchange at KY 351. According to lead contractor Parsons, work on Section 1 is 30% toward its 2025 completion target, with more than 800,000 cu yd of embankment, nearly two dozen structural beams set, and more than 3,500 cu yd of concrete poured.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Dept. of Transportation plans to let a contract in November for Section 3, which encompasses roadways and bridges on the north side of the river. The section’s two-year construction phase is expected to begin in early 2024.