Past and Present City Officials Gather to Open New 421 Approach

Friday, June 19, 2020 at 2:41 PM

By Kacie Jackson

Nearly a century ago the concrete was poured for the approach to connect Indiana and Kentucky.

Ginny Welch Cutting the Ribbon for the new approach

(Madison, Ind.) - Thursday, June 18 marked a momentous occasion for the City of Madison as the new 421 Bridge Approach opened.

Mayor Courtney along with former mayors Tim Armstrong and Al Huntington and Ginny Welch gathered with the community to celebrate the long-awaited approach.

Mayor Courtney stated that this project was made possible with the help of past and present governor’s, INDOT, and Beaty Construction.

The 421 approach has been a project that many past mayors have pushed for to make safer for the residents of Madison, and Jefferson County. This project was one that former mayor Welch was pushing for during his time in office.

“Mayor Welch’s vision for a safer approach became a reality today, and I wish he were here to see this,” said Mayor Courtney.

Nearly a century ago the concrete was poured for the approach to connect Indiana and Kentucky.

“As we spend the next few months finalizing the bridge approach construction, we will now turn our attention to redesigning Main Street a new long term endeavor that will further promote economic development, modernize traffic safety, and further enhance our quality of life in Madison,” said Mayor Courtney.

Also joining Mayor Courtney with the opening of the bridge was former Mayor Al Huntington.

“Today is a great day to celebrate the opening of this wonderful gateway to Madison and the great state of Indiana,” said Huntington. “This is such a thrill to see this happen and certainly mayor Welch was a leader in that.”

This project has been one that is years in the making, and one that residents of both Indiana and Kentucky can enjoy.

“This is infrastructure for tourism, jobs, and economic development. When I look at that infrastructure it is something that will last for generations. There isn’t any reason our community cannot thrive when you have a complex like this when you come into our city,” said Huntington.

Former mayor Tim Armstrong also spoke on the project stating that the bridge was built in 1929 for model A’s and horse and buggy.

“In 2008 the middle part of the economy started to tank on us, and we were worried about what was going to happen. We needed a bridge and location and population is very important, and the Louisville bridge project and the Brent Spence Bridge in Cincinnati were coming into play,” said Armstrong. “But we needed a safe river crossing, so the talk continued.”

With all of these other projects beating out Madison, the fight and discussions for a safer bridge did not stop.

Over the years city officials and residents alike saw this challenge of needing a safer bridge, and approach.

Now many years after that first official discussion, the new bridge approach became a reality.

The ceremonial ribbon was cut by Ginny Welch, who also led the first car across the approach.