Though Indiana has limited the use of toll roads, pushing Interstate 69 into Kentucky may require user fees.  The I-69 bridge connecting the two states is still in planning stages, with officials scheduled to pick one of three routes across the Ohio River by the end of this year.  But, as Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Samantha Horton reports, they say tolling may be needed to make the bridge a reality.

There are three options for the I-69 Ohio River Crossing Bridge project.

But whichever one is picked, says Spokesperson Mindy Peterson, tolling will be a part of the funding equation.

“An I-69 Bridge will be tolled if we are going move to construction.”

The Indiana Toll Road in the northern part of the state and bridges connecting Jeffersonville to Louisville use tolls now.

Governor Eric Holcomb says while toll roads are still relatively rare in Indiana, he sees them as a solution for easing the state’s backlog of roadwork.

“These are success stories and have enabled us to build projects that have been sitting on shelves for literally decades.”

The final plan for the I-69 Bridge is due by December 1^st, but Peterson says it is on track to be complete this fall.  She says a team of Indiana and Kentucky officials would mutually agree on whether to toll and how much the fee would be.