Rendering of what the east end bridge will look like upon completion.  (photo courtesy of the Ohio River Bridges Project)

Industrial firms near the Port Of Indiana are looking forward to Thursday's initial groundbreaking on the Ohio River Bridges Project.

It's a 3,000-foot section connecting Indiana state road 265 and the future bridge with the River Ridge Commerce Center, and where the first exit on the Indiana side will eventually be. President Chuck Moore of Eagle Steel and Metals USA, where the groundbreaking ceremony will take place, says his firm will be able to add at least 10 percent to its current workforce of about 125 employees. His company sends finished appliance steel to firms like GE.

Nearby Voss-Clark Steel gets coiled industrial steel ready for manufacturers by cleaning away rust. Its President Joe Rhodea joins Moore, in anticipating sharply lower fuel bills, and many fewer time delays in transport to customers. Both executives say their cost of doing business will decrease with the east end bridge available in 2017.

On the controversy about the bridge probably requiring a toll, Moore adds it's a cost he'll compensate employees for, but pass along to customers. Despite that expense, he looks for dramatic savings due to the east end bridge.