Indiana finalizes deal for new Ohio River bridge

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana officials have finalized an agreement with partnership group that will build a new Ohio River bridge for $763 million.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced Friday that a final decision had been made on the contract that a state panel preliminarily approved last month.

Indiana is overseeing construction of the so-called East End bridge that will complete an interstate loop around Louisville, Ky., with a crossing between Utica, Ind., and Prospect, Ky. Kentucky officials are handling construction of a second bridge for Interstate 65 at downtown Louisville.

Indiana highway department spokesman Will Wingfield says construction on the East End bridge is expected to start next summer and be completed in 2016.

The agency says the deal with WVB East End Partners is nearly 25 percent below previous cost estimates