LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- It's a huge milestone after decades of waiting -- Thursday, the governors of Kentucky and Indiana will break ground for the East End Bridge.
In five more years, there will be a bridge near the Port of Jeffersonville, connecting southern Indiana to east Louisville.
Eagle Steel was flying both Indiana and Kentucky flags on Wednesday in anticipation of the groundbreaking ceremony. The company cuts steel and distributes in the area, including across the river at Louisville's General Electric.
Chuck Moore of Eagle Steel explains, "There's only one way across the river at this point. It can be very time consuming, it costs a lot of money, gas if there's a breakdown on the bridge. We're held up, it's very time consuming."
The East End Bridge will connect east Louisville to southern Indiana, and construction is just around the corner. Moore says, "The East End bridge will give us a real outlet to deliver our goods on time like we like to."
Even though the groundbreaking is happening right on the Ohio River at the Port of Indiana, that doesn't mean that's where construction is about to start on the bridge. In fact, dirt had to be brought in for the groundbreaking, which is basically a celebration that work is about to begin."
The actual construction is expected to begin in the next 30-60 days on the first phase of the East End Bridge -- a road ultimately connecting the future East End Bridge with the River Ridge Commerce Center.
Amazon.com has already moved in, and with talk of bridge construction starting, more businesses have been sniffing around.
Jerry Acy of the River Ridge Commerce Center explains, "We've actually had some major visits in the last few weeks, we think as a direct result of the announcement about actual Bridges Project with construction starting. So now it's really becoming a reality."
That road must be finished by 2013. The whole East End Bridge project won't be finished until 2017.
Moore says, "It's a wonderful opportunity, and it just grows the whole area, it just explodes. because you can't do it without bridges, it's just impossible."
The groundbreaking ceremony starts Thursday morning at 10. Work on the new downtown bridge and Spaghetti Junction won't start until early next year.
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