Contact: Lori Irving, Telephone: (202) 366-0660
FHWA 5-04f

Investment Will Fund New Ohio River Bridge in Covington, 11 Other Projects

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced that newly released funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will help reduce congestion, enhance safety and improve traffic flow at key transportation projects around the state. The Bush administration is providing more than $10.5 million for replacing the Interstate-75/Brent Spence Bridge and 11 other Kentucky transportation projects.

"Investing in Kentucky's highways is the best way to get people to their jobs, families to their homes and goods to market," Secretary Mineta said.

Several of the projects will ease congestion on some of the state's most heavily traveled roads. The Bush administration has slated more than $1.1 million for replacement of the existing Interstate-75/Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River between Covington and Cincinnati and an additional $3.7 million for preliminary work on the Louisville̫#Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridge at Louisville.

Other projects include more than $1.1 million for the Owensboro Waterfront Development Project and more than $225,000 for the Big South Fork, Scenic Railway Track Restoration in McCreary County.

"The funding we're announcing today is an investment in the transportation infrastructure of Kentucky and the region," said FHWA Administrator Mary Peters. "The President understands that these investments are important to our quality of life and to keep our economy moving. "

The following table shows the funding in each program.

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