New downtown bridge to open early

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear says a new Ohio River bridge between downtown Louisville and southern Indiana is expected to open earlier than originally projected.

Beshear announced Friday that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is accelerating construction on the span and it should open to traffic by next January. It had been slated to open in April 2016.

Beshear said the move would allow crews to make more extensive improvements to restore the Kennedy Bridge, which currently carries Interstate 65 across the Ohio River. It will be closed for repairs after the new bridge opens.

Construction crews are still slated to finish a second bridge over the Ohio River connecting Louisville to southern Indiana by October 2016.

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