LOUISVILLE, KY (WDRB) -- Like a summer rainstorm, a downpour of activity is about to flood the banks of the Ohio River.

A ceremonial groundbreaking is set for Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Waterfront Park to kick off the construction schedule for the new downtown bridge. The bridge, coupled with an east end crossing, are part of the larger $2.5 billion Ohio River Bridges Project.

Pre-construction work on both the downtown and east end bridges has been ongoing for months. Walsh Construction crews spent Monday moving gravel and preparing to start work on the new $1.3 billion downtown bridge.

As crews plan to move more historic homes in Jeffersonville, Ind., neighbors like Paul Falkenstein say they've seen an increase in dust.

"It's a bit of a nuisance but it has to be done," Falkenstein said. "There's lot of noise and a lot of dust. Like I say you go out and look at your cars, when we get a rain - you go out and look - it looks like we've been in a dust storm."

Walsh officials warned neighbors in May that construction could lead to increased noises and vibrations near the Jeffersonville homes. The company installed monitoring devices to help keep track and try to mitigate any problems if possible, officials said in a May interview.

Across the river in downtown Louisville, Kremer's Smoke Shoppe is being bought out. It's one of more than 20 buildings set to be demolished as part of the downtown crossing. Owner Gayle Sallee says he's hoping to delay moving his store until August 1st.

"Quite honestly it's been very hectic. But we've done the best we can and we'll be here for our customers. That's who we are here for," Sallee said.

Tuesday's ceremonial groundbreaking will kick off the start of construction set for July 1st. One of the most visible impacts will be felt days later.

Starting July 8th, the eastbound I -64 ramp to southbound I-65 is going to be closed for 1,000 days. It's pretty much the entire duration of the bridges project, said Mindy Peterson, a spokeswoman for the project.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said Monday during an interview with WDRB News: "This is going to be a long process. There's going to be delays, there's going to be inconvenience and the same time, we have got to get his moving."

Those were Kentucky's governor's words to the masses on a bridges project many thought would never get off the ground.

"Like I said I'm surprised that I will presumably live to see a bridge get built, so it's one step in that direction," said Falkenstein.

Lane closures along U.S. 42 will affect traffic this week as a result of the east end crossing. Blasting in the same area is scheduled for next week. For more information on traffic updates, visit this website: www.kyinbridges.com

Â