Abramson Shocked at Bridges Lawsuit

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson says a federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. last week could delay work on the $4-billion dollar Ohio River Bridges Project.The local conservation group River Fields and the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the suit against the Federal Highway Administration. They claim the federal government violated environmental and transportation laws in the planning of the project.Abramson says it’s an unexpected hitch in the project.“To tell you the truth, I was really shocked," says Abramson. "I mean, there’s been some discussion over the years since the Record of Decision was submitted but it’s been five, six years, and to think this move would take place two days before the statute of limitations had run… I really thought we were beyond this.”Two months ago, governors from both Kentucky and Indiana joined Abramson in announcing the formation of a bi-state authority to oversee the construction of the bridges.