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Number crunchers to release bridge financing plan

Ann Thompson
/
WVXU

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, speaking at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday, called on the business community to step up and work with the legislature to make the new Brent Spence bridge project happen. "You know, we've got a lot of things that need to be flexible that we need to pull together and work together on."

Beshear says by the end of the month a preliminary plan to finance the bridge will be finished. "So when we put that out I would ask everybody here not to panic or not to get up in arms, it's a start. And we've got to put one out for the federal government...and it will have a lot of options."

Among the options:

  • federal funding
  • state funding
  • tolls

Beshear says it will be a combination. Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore doesn't like the tolls part. "Whether or not tolls is the answer or not, I still think it's premature. I'm pleased that the debate and the discussion is taking place, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Just two months ago the Ohio and Kentucky released a study listing possible models and tolls. WVXU reported on it here.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.