The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Indiana Department of Transportation have asked to intervene in a lawsuit filed by two groups over the Ohio River Bridges Project. The groups—River Fields and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—filed suit against the Federal Highway Administration claiming it didn't follow federal law when it approved the project in 2003. Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock said the motion to intervene was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Louisville because the lawsuit ``threatens to delay the project and drive up costs.'' River Fields and the National Trust filed the lawsuit against the FHWA in September 2009. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Indiana Department of Transportation have participated in legal proceedings related to the case but have not been formal parties.The suit also prompted the creation of Kentuckians for Progress, which has mounted a public campaign aimed at pressuring the groups to drop the litigation. It’s also seeking to join the lawsuit and dismantle it.(Information for this story also came from the Associated Press)
Rick Howlett is host of WFPL's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." Email Rick at rhowlett@lpm.org.