WVB East End Partners is a consortium of Walsh Investors LLC, VINCI Concessions, and BBGI a global infrastructure company. As a team of firms steeped in financing, designing and constructing major highway and bridges projects, WVB was uniquely qualified to complete the long-planned project of building an East End Bridge and connecting the East End of Louisville and Southern Indiana near Utica. In November 2012, WVB was selected as the preferred bidder with a proposal to complete the East End Crossing in October 2016 at a cost of $763 million, 23 percent less than previous estimates. The project was opened to traffic on December 18th, 2016 and is currently maintained by WVB as part of a 35 year O&M contract with the Indiana Finance Authority. The purpose of the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project is to increase cross-river mobility by improving safety, alleviating traffic congestion and connecting highways. The project will stimulate the economy of the entire Louisville-Southern Indiana region. According to the Federal Highway Administration’s Record of Decision, to meet these needs two crossings were necessary – one in the downtown area and one eight miles upstream in the metro area’s growing East End. The Downtown Crossing (Abraham Lincoln Bridge) connects downtown Louisville and Jeffersonville, Ind., running parallel to the Kennedy Bridge. The East End Crossing (Lewis and Clark Bridge) is located eight miles upstream and connects Prospect, Ky. and Utica, Ind.