The Ohio River Bridges Project of Kentucky and Indiana

Ohio River Bridges Project moves forward on right-of-way purchasing in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - (December 22, 2009) With the authorization of $100 million in bonds by Kentucky, the right-of-way process begins in earnest on the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project (LSIORBP).

"This week, we're contacting all residential property owners in Kentucky, plus the owners of some major parcels in downtown Louisville," according to Gary Valentine, project manager for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). "We want to buy as much property as we can in the coming months."

The footprint for the entire project crosses nearly 300 privately and commercially owned properties on both sides of the Ohio River.

In the East End of Jefferson County, Ky., right of way will be acquired from 95 residential properties. No commercial properties are involved on the East End. Of the acquisitions, 38 involve relocations. Many of the acquisitions only involve small strips of land. To date, six residential properties and six units from a condominium have already been purchased in the East End. In addition, Rosewell, a historic property, was purchased as an environmental mitigation.

Right-of-way acquisition will also be advanced in downtown Louisville. As the construction in downtown is split into several phases, the acquisition will concentrate on parcels required for the initial phases of construction and certain key parcels that will be more difficult to appraise and acquire. Baer Fabrics, which went out of business in late 2008, became the first acquisition in downtown in June. Right of way for downtown Louisville does not include any residential property.

"We've gotten a head start on right-of-way acquisition by purchasing about one-third of the East End parcels that require relocation," said Valentine. "We also made a strategic decision to buy the Baer Fabrics building when the company went out of business. Now we're moving forward with the rest of our right-of-way plans in Kentucky. For the residential owners, the next step is to have their properties appraised then we'll make offers. In the downtown area, we'll move forward on some major parcels."

In Southern Indiana, right-of-way plans are still being developed but several advanced purchases have been made, including the historic Train Depot in Jeffersonville plus 10 properties in the Utica area (four residences and six developments). The issuing of bonds in Kentucky will not have an immediate impact on purchasing more right of way in Indiana.

Valentine said acquiring all right of way in Kentucky is a multi-year process, but not all land will be purchased before construction begins. "A lot of people are eager to see dirt move," he said, "but we don't have a revised construction timetable yet." The Bi-state Authority, a panel appointed by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, is responsible for developing a long-term funding plan, including construction schedule, for the LSIORBP. The Bi-State Authority is expected to hold their first meeting in January 2010 to begin the process of examining the project funding options.