LOUISVILLE — Some Jefferson County community groups are questioning the validity of a $22.1 million study on the impact two Ohio River bridges would have on the area.

        Transportation leaders in Kentucky and Indiana are expected to decide this summer whether to build new bridges connecting Jefferson County and southern Indiana.

        The study, conducted by Community Transportation Solutions, examined the effects the bridges would have on the area's ecosystem and landscape — from homes, businesses and farms to plants and animals.

        But groups such as the Harrods Creek Land Management Association and River Fields Inc. say the study is flawed.

        The Harrods Creek association contends the study failed to assess thoroughly how Louisville would be affected by Indiana's growth spurt resulting from a bridge on the east side of Jefferson County.

        River Fields argues the study focused too much on engineering at the expense of accurately determining the impact on the environment and historic properties.

        Congress appropriated $40 million in 1998 for the bridge project — $22 million for the study and $18 million to begin acquiring land for construction. Future allocations to build any bridges will come from Congress and the Federal Highway Administration, along with smaller contributions from both states.

        “I don't think it was a complete waste of taxpayer money,” said Leslie Barras, an environmental attorney for River Fields. But “I think it's significantly deficient.”

        U.S. Rep. Anne Northup, R-Ky., who in 1998 secured the money for the project with Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., disagreed.

        Taxpayers' $22.1 million produced a solid, factual report, she said.

        “I truly think the consultants have done an excellent job,” Ms. Northup said.

        Community Transportation Solutions — comprised of Parsons Transportation Group of Chicago; Haworth, Meyer and Boleyn of Frankfort; and Beam, Longest and Neff of Indianapolis — used about $485,000 of the $22.1 million for overhead.

        It spent roughly $239,000 to rent Louisville offices for four years, $189,000 to buy computers and $45,000 to purchase office equipment, according to financial records.

        Almost 98 percent of the congressional allocation — $21.7 million — was spent to hire more than two-dozen consultants to conduct studies.

        Among them was The Westerly Group of Farmersburg, Ind., which was paid $210,000 to catalog and analyze historic properties in Indiana that might be affected by any bridges. Westerly used some of its money to hire a subcontractor to do archaeological work.

        Company president Camille Fife said she researched historical documents to determine sites that might be affected. Then she and her staff walked through fields and drove country roads and highways — photographing, describing and analyzing the properties along the way.

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