The deal will see Parsons evaluate the feasibility and environmental impact of various routes for a new bridge across the Ohio River. This structure will connect existing sections of the I 69 highway in the two states, the Robert D Orr Highway near Evansville, IN, and the upgraded Edward T Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway south of Henderson, KY. The environmental review and preliminary design should be complete by the end of 2019.
In other efforts to improve and expand I-69, late last year, Indiana opened 43km of new highway between Bloomington and Naval Support Area Crane. Kentucky designated 70km of the Pennyrile Parkway in Henderson, Hopkins, and Webster counties as I 69 by adding interstate highway signs along the route. In addition to the I 69 Ohio River Crossing project, both states plan additional improvements on I 69, including extending it by 77km in Indiana and 85km in Kentucky. The I 69 improvements are expected to boost the economies of both southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky.
Designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as one of six “Corridors of the Future,” I 69 stretches across eight states from Texas to Michigan, with approximately 1,312km already operational. When complete, it will be a primary north-south artery for the movement of goods and services in the United States.
