by Steve Bittenbender
The governors of Kentucky and Ohio announced an update on Friday to the proposed Brent Spence Bridge corridor project designed to improve interstate traffic between Cincinnati and its Northern Kentucky suburbs.
Those changes are not expected to impact the cost or timeline of the project, which has been on the wishlist of both states for years.
The update includes changes made to the plan initially approved by the Federal Highway Administration a decade ago and makes them more compact. Instead of a 150-foot wide span that takes up 25 acres, the bridge will now be 84 feet wide and take up 14 acres. Those changes came after officials from both states conducted a technical review of the project and received “significant community engagement,” according to a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet release.
“We felt good about where we were a decade ago because that solution provided additional capacity that reduces congestion and improves travel throughout the corridor,” said Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks in a statement. “We feel even better about this revision because it dramatically reduces the footprint of the new bridge and completely separates interstate and local traffic.”
Both Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said it’s a priority to minimize the impact on properties near the corridor while ensuring the project meets the region’s transportation needs.
The plan still calls for a new bridge to divert traffic off the existing Brent Spence Bridge, a double-decker that carries traffic from Interstates 71 and 75 across the Ohio River. The new bridge, expected to open in 2029, would carry the interstate highway traffic. The 59-year-old bridge will handle local commuters.
“The Brent Spence plays a critical role in the solution being put forward, and we are excited that our partners in Covington and other local municipalities in Kentucky have voiced their support for our current plan,” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said.
The Brent Spence Bridge serves about 160,000 vehicles daily. That’s about double the load it was intended to carry.
In May, both states filed a joint application to the federal government for a $1.66 billion grant to pay for most of the project’s cost. In addition to the bridge, both states will make highway improvements leading up to the spans. Some highway work may be completed after the new bridge is opened.
The states are also working on a second grant application due to the federal government by Aug. 9.
Chuck Wolfe, a spokesman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, told The Center Square the project is still estimated to cost about $3 billion, with a groundbreaking expected in the latter half of 2023.
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Steve Bittenbender is a regular contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Brent Spence Bridge” by Antony-22. CC BY-SA 4.0.
