State transportation officials announced Friday that construction is complete on Section 3 of the I-69 Ohio River Crossing project in Evansville. The work, carried out at a reported cost of $202 million, includes approach roads and three bridges that will provide construction access to the Ohio River for the future I-69 bridge connecting Evansville and Henderson, Kentucky.
What was built and why it matters
The Section 3 package consists of approach roads and three new bridges constructed largely within a floodplain. Officials said the facilities are intended to give crews an all-weather route for moving equipment and materials to the river during the river crossing phase of the project. When the new I-69 bridge and associated work are finished, the roads and bridges built under Section 3 will open to regular traffic.
- Cost: $202 million for Section 3.
- Work period: Began fall 2024; completed on time and on budget.
- Function: Construction access now; public use after river crossing is complete.
Gov. Mike Braun marked the milestone by recalling the rapid change to the landscape.
"Less than two years ago, we stood in a farm field. Today, the approach bridges are complete and provide a direct path to the future I-69 bridge."
Next phase: the river crossing and regional coordination
Section 2, which includes the Ohio River crossing itself, remains to be contracted and built. The state expects to select the Section 2 contractor by the end of the year. That phase is a joint project between Indiana and Kentucky and will link I-69 in Evansville with U.S. 60 in Henderson.
According to state information, Section 2 will include:
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Bridge | New four-lane bridge across the Ohio River |
| Approaches | Kentucky approach and Indiana approach plus four additional bridges in Indiana |
| Interchanges | Modifications at U.S. 41 and U.S. 60 in Henderson and at I-69/U.S. 41 in Evansville |
Officials project construction of Section 2 to begin in spring 2027 and finish in 2031. Until that work is completed, the Section 3 improvements will serve primarily as a construction corridor.
Local implications and timeline
For Evansville residents, the completion of Section 3 represents a visible step toward the long-planned completion of I-69 through Indiana. The I-69 Ohio River Crossing is the final segment of I-69 to be completed in Indiana, meaning the full interstate connection through the state remains contingent on the river crossing and associated approaches.
Short-term local effects include increased construction traffic and staging activity around the approach roads and bridges as contractors use the new route to access the river. In the longer term, once the river crossing and interchanges are finished, the project will change traffic flows in portions of Evansville and Henderson, including: upgraded interchange configurations at I-69/U.S. 41 in Evansville and at U.S. 41 and U.S. 60 in Henderson.
The state has emphasized the engineering challenge of building in a floodplain and the role of the new infrastructure in enabling work to continue in adverse conditions. For residents living near the construction zones, that means a phase of heavy activity now with a plan for final public use after the overall crossing is complete.
Looking ahead
With Section 3 complete, attention will turn to the contractor selection for Section 2 and the multi-year construction schedule that follows. The timeline published by state officials places the start of river crossing construction in spring 2027 and completion in 2031, subject to the procurement and contracting process.
As work proceeds, state and local authorities will continue to update schedules and traffic advisories. For Evansville, the completion of Section 3 is a concrete milestone: it transforms a stretch of farm field into part of the eventual interstate route and signals that the long-awaited river bridge has moved closer to becoming a built reality.
