Now that I-65's Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River has been repainted, an area underneath the bridge that had been used by the repainting contractors is being converted into a picnic area: Louisville Courier-Journal: Picnic area being built under Kennedy Bridge; Tables to offer 'killer view' (March 27, 2009) 

The state will try for a third time to have the I-65 Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River painted: Courier-Journal: Kennedy bridge looking for yet another painter (May 8, 2006) , Courier-Journal: Kennedy Bridge will just be taupe; To save money, time, 2 colors cut (June 14, 2006) , Associated Press: State Rejects Lone Bid For Kennedy Bridge Painting (June 25, 2006) , Business First of Louisville: Bridge repainting bid comes in over budget (July 21, 2006) 

Earlier this month, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet cancelled a $17.8 million contract with Atlantic Painting Company for painting Louisville’s Kennedy Bridge. The state claims that Atlantic Painting was making sufficient progress towards completing the bridge repainting project: Courier-Journal: Kennedy Bridge painting deal canceled; State says job only 6 percent complete (Feb. 9, 2006) , Associated Press: State cancels bridge painting company's contract (Feb. 9, 2006) 

Atlantic Painting Co., the contractor responsible for painting the I-65 Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville, recently walked off the project. The company claims that the weather is too cold for painting. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is unsure when work will resume: Courier-Journal: Painting work stops on Kennedy Bridge; State, company will discuss finishing job (Dec. 10, 2005) , Courier-Journal: State might extend deadline for painting Kennedy Bridge (Jan. 8, 2006) 

Two companies have been fined for safety violations relating to an accident that caused the death of a worker on the Kennedy Bridge Painting project: Louisville Courier-Journal: 2 companies fined in fatal fall from bridge (Sept. 21, 2005) 

Part of the Kennedy Bridge is being sandblasted in preparation for repainting: Courier-Journal: Sandblasting preps bridge; Kennedy span soon will get its long-awaited paint job (April 21, 2005) 

The October 2004 and the 2004 Year-in-Review editions of the transportation cabinet’s newsletter have been posted to the KYTC Konnection page .

Among stories covered in the October 2004 edition are:

• The SAFE program that aids broken down motorists.
• Information about a KYTC employee’s trip to Russia to participate in an engineering exchange program.
• Coverage of the installation of new “Move Over or Slow Down for Stopped Emergency Vehicle” signs.
• Coverage of ceremonial beginning of the Kennedy Bridge repainting project.
• A story about KYTC employees rescuing a cat from an Ohio River bridge.
• Information about the opening of a reconstructed segment of US 421 in Harlan County.

Download: [Transportation Konnection – October 2004] (2.51 MB)

Among stories covered in the 2004 Year-in-Review edition are:

• Information and photographs of work on I-66 in Pulaski County.

Download: [Transportation Konnection – 2004 Year-in-Review] (2.32 MB)

The ceremonial painting of a beam at Louisville’s Waterfront Park marked the beginning of a multi-year project to repaint I-65’s bridge over the Ohio River. The bridge will be painted in a scheme consisting of three colors: green, beige and chestnut brown. The project is also being staged in such away to limit the impact on motorists. Usually, at most one lane in either direction will be closed; however, two lanes may be closed between the hours of 1am-5am throughout the duration of the project. The pain job is expected to last for 30 to 40 years.

More information: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Ceremonial Painting On Louisville's Kennedy Bridge Marks Beginning Of Project (Oct. 14, 2004) 

After years of delays and scandals, another project to repaint the Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville has begun. The $8.7 million project has a deadline of July 31, 2006. The bridge was last painted in the 1970s.

More information: Courier-Journal: Kennedy Bridge paint job starts (Oct. 8, 2004) 

Work was to begin in late August to repaint the Kennedy Bridge. The project is expected to last until August 2006.

More information: Business First of Louisville: Long-awaited painting of Kennedy Bridge begins (August 23, 2004) , Courier-Journal: Kennedy Bridge Readied for Painting Project (August 24, 2004) 

Under the terms of a little publicized agreement signed shortly before the bridge’s 1963 opening, Indiana is entitled to pay for half the costs of repainting the I-65 Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River. Indiana has reimbursed $4 million for costs incurred so far: Courier-Journal: Indiana to split cost of painting I-65 span (July 30, 2004) 

That state has awarded a contract to paint the Kennedy Bridge. The winning contract was awarded to Atlantic Painting Co. of Oak Lawn, Ill. That company submitted the low bid at $17,777,777. Work is planned to begin by August, and the deadline for project completion is July 31, 2006. This project will be the largest project ever undertaken by Atlantic Painting.

Painting of the bridge was suspended in 2001 after contractors disclosed a state bridge inspector had been asking for bribes.

More information: Courier-Journal: Contract to be awarded to paint Kennedy Bridge (June 5, 2004) , Associated Press: State Ready to Try to Paint Bridge Again, Two Years After Scandal (June 5, 2004) , Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer: State ready to try to paint bridge again (June 6, 2004) , Lexington Herald-Leader: Bridge of Scandal to Get Paint at Last (June 6, 2004) , Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Painting Contract Awarded for Louisville's Kennedy Bridge (June 17, 2004) , Associated Press: Kentucky awards $17.8 million contract to repaint Ohio River bridge (June 17, 2004) , Courier-Journal: Kennedy Bridge painting due soon (June 18, 2004) 

If all goes as planned, by the end of 2005 I-65’s Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River will be completely repainted for the first time since 1977. Originally the bridge was to be repainted in 1993; however, inspectors found cracks that needed to be repaired before continuing. In 1999, workers began repainting the bridge. The job ended two years later when contractors walked off the job claiming that state inspectors had solicited bribes. One inspector pleaded guilty to federal charges and is serving a six-year jail term.

More information: Courier-Journal: Eyesore bridge up for a paint job (Apr. 1, 2004) 

Work to repaint the I-65 Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River may soon resume. The transportation cabinet plans to let bids for the project this month.

Work to repaint the bridge was stopped in October of 2001 after it was revealed that a transportation cabinet bridge inspector was soliciting bribes from contractors who were paining the bridge.

More information: Courier-Journal: Kennedy Bridge work may resume (Dec. 6, 2003) , Associated Press: Bridge-painting, stopped after bribery scandal, may get jump-start (Dec. 6, 2003) 

The transportation cabinet has run into a number of scandals of late. Here is a run down of articles related to the transportation cabinet's woes:

• Associated Press: FBI says subpoena related to Conner case (Jan. 31, 2003) 
• Associated Press: Grand jury hears Cabinet witnesses (Feb. 13, 2003) 
• Associated Press: Bill would give review powers over Transportation Cabinet (Feb. 26, 2003) 
• Herald-Leader: Transportation Cabinet oversight bill passed (Feb. 27, 2003) 
• Herald-Leader: Report: Tina Conner friend got promoted with outside influence (Mar. 4, 2003) 
• Courier-Journal: Report: Patton helped officer who aided Conner (Mar. 5, 2003) 
• Herald-Leader: Ticket 'fix' may have led to raise (Mar. 5, 2003) 
• Courier-Journal: Governor hopefuls promise change (Mar. 9, 2003) 
• Courier-Journal: Minority firms receive little state business in Kentucky (March 18, 2003) 
• Herald-Leader: Ethics panel charges Patton; Allegations Stem Ffrom Conner Affair (Mar. 26, 2003) 
• Herald-Leader: Ethics Charges (Mar. 26, 2003) 
• Courier-Journal: Patton charged with 4 ethics violations (Mar. 26, 2003) 
• Associated Press: State paying $12 million to settle suit over bridge in bribery case (May 27, 2003) 
• Associated Press: Former transportation official sues governor (June 12, 2003) 
• Associated Press: Lawyer for Patton's ex-mistress says she could still be charged (June 26, 2003) 
• Associated Press: Two companies sue Transportation Cabinet over program (July 1, 2003) 
• Associated Press: Auditor criticizes planned Transportation Cabinet kitchen deal (July 1, 2003) 
• Herald-Leader: Suit alleges fraud by officials on contracts (July 2, 2003) 
• Bowling Green Daily News: Suit uses BG company to highlight its concern (July 5, 2003) 
• Herald-Leader: Governor's ex-mistress is indicted (July 10, 2003) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet reached a sealed settlement with Ron Gardner, a KYTC employee who alerted officials that inspectors were extorting bribes from contractors.

A judge opened the settlement in January at the request of the Courier-Journal. It was revealed that the KYTC paid Gardner $480,000 to settle the lawsuit.

More information: Daily Independent: Cabinet seals settlement with employee in whistle-blower case (Jan. 12, 2003) , Herald-Leader: Bridge-painting lawsuit sealed (Jan. 12, 2003) , Courier-Journal: State settled suit for $480,000 (Jan. 24, 2003) 

A new Inspector General has been named for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The new inspector, Robert Russell, will have the ability to report either to the Transportation Cabinet Secretary or directly to the Governor. Over the last 18-months several cases of corruption have been reported in the transportation cabinet, including the scandal surrounding the repainting of the Kennedy Bridge in Louisville.

More information: Herald-Leader: Transit cabinet monitor is named (Sept. 6, 2002) 

The sentencing for Kevin Lee Earles has been rescheduled for Sept. 27 to allow his lawyers more to prepare arguments against extra prison time sought by the government. Earles, a 23 year veteran of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, plead guilty to soliciting bribes from contractor that was repainting the Kennedy Bridge in downtown Louisville. Lawyers for the government are seeking added prison time because it has been revealed that Earles threatened to kill his victims.

In conversations secretly recorded by the FBI, Earles told a foreman that he would kill the foreman is the foreman turned him in. Earles threatened to ruin the business of the contractor and claimed to have previously used his tactics against a contractor repainting a bridge in Owensboro.

More information: Courier-Journal: Bridge inspector's sentencing postponed (Aug. 22, 2002) , Courier-Journal: Bridge inspector threatened to kill foreman, tapes show (Aug. 20, 2002) 

A report commissioned by the FBI finds that the $14 million project to repaint the Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville was doomed from the start. The study reports that officials disregarded concerns that the project would wash old lead based paint into the Ohio River. The method of painting was also attacked: the state planned to "overcoat" the existing paint. The study predicted that this method would fail because the existing paint is unstable and would peel off. Work on painting the bridge was suspended in 2001 due to FBI inquiries alleged bribery and other flaws in oversight.

More information: Courier-Journal: Study blasts project to paint bridge (August 10, 2002) 

The Courier-Journal reports that a transportation cabinet bridge inspector, Kevin L. Earles, who pleaded guilty to soliciting bribes told contractors that he had "hammered" two previous contractors. The federal government is investigating to see if Earles had solicited other contractors for bribes.

More information: Courier-Journal: Memo: Bridge inspector cited earlier bribes (June 21, 2002) 

Two bridge contractors who were solicited for bribes have attacked an audit of the Transportation Cabinet saying that is flawed by omissions and errors.

Full story: Courier-Journal: 2 bridge contractors attack report (June 4, 2002) 

The Transportation Cabinet's Reform and Review Committee, which was created last year to identify problems in the cabinet, has submitted a report which finds that the cabinet failed to investigate claims of extortion, oversee the work of a bridge inspector, and monitor a minority hiring program. The committee has suggested the creation of an Inspector General's Office to continue to monitor the work of the transportation cabinet.

More information: Courier-Journal: Reforms urged for Transportation Cabinet (May 10, 2002) , Messenger-Inquirer: Report: Most Transportation problems resolved (May 10, 2002) , KYTC Press Release 

Kevin L. Earles, a 23-year veteran employee of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, pleaded guilty on March 28 to federal anti-corruption charges. He was accused of soliciting bribes during an inspection of the Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River at Louisville. The Kennedy Bridge carries I-65 into Southern Indiana.

More information: Courier-Journal: Bridge Inspector Who Took Bribes Pleads Guilty 

This Courier-Journal article  reports that Transportation Secretary James Codell has called for am "internal process audit" to determine what the transport cabinet has done wrong after recent scandals involving bridge inspections, fraud in a minority business program, and problems in the driver's licenses office.

According to this Courier-Journal article  a federal grand jury in Louisville indicted Kevin Lee Earles, 41, on three counts of extortion for allegedly demanding bribes that totaled $18,000. Earles was a KYTC inspector for painting work being done on the Kennedy Bridge in Louisville. He reportedly told a painting-company executive that there was a ''history'' of making payments to inspectors.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports in this article  that a second lawsuit has been filed over alleged illegal activity regarding inspection of the Kennedy Bridge. In this lawsuit, a KYTC employee claims he was demoted after reporting that state inspectors were falsifying records, getting kickbacks from a supplier and soliciting bribes from contractors.

The Courier-Journal reports in this Oct. 25, 2001 article  that a lawsuit has been filed claiming that KYTC officials and bridge inspectors solicited bribes regarding repainting work on the Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville.