LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- If the plan to build a new Ohio River Bridge is to stay on track, the next few weeks are crucial. "We are at the moment of truth" when it comes to the bridges, says Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer before an audience of business leaders early Tuesday morning.
It was part of the regular bi-monthly "What's Brewing" forum, sponsored by Business First.
The mayor answered questions for about an hour from Business First publisher Tom Monahan and also took questions from the audience. He covered a wide variety of topics, including job creation, education, the city's budget shortfall, and the topic of bridges, both the closing of the Sherman Minton and the plans to build two new bridges.
The mayor told his audience that the closing of the Sherman Minton has forced leaders to focus on the importance of getting the Ohio River Bridges Project off the ground.
He also said the closing of the bridge has gotten the project a lot more attention from federal officials, which could help when it comes to figuring out how to pay for the project.
And the mayor said, "If the I-65 bridge (Kennedy) went down, we are back to the 1800's."
The mayor outlined what needs to be done in the coming months to keep the bridges project on schedule for an August 2012 groundbreaking.
He believes a financing plan from the Bridges's Authority will be in place by the end of the year, and that a revised Environmental Impact Statement will be completed by the spring.
The mayor also said the litigation brought by the environmental group River Fields needs to be settled.
"The question is how it is going to be paid for," said Fischer. "About a billion dollars or so will come from tolls."
The mayor urged his audience to get involved. He said, "If you are an advocate for the bridges, which is very important to open up the regional economy and transportation, is to let your state legislators know how you feel."
Fischer says as mayor his main role is to be a problem solver and that he plans to spend a lot of time in Frankfort lobbying lawmakers to get the bridges built.
He said he is confident that construction of an East End Bridge could get underway next year.
"We are in a position to succeed, let's put it that way," says the mayor. "If the funding is taken care of, we can definitely start the project next fall, there is no question about that."
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