The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project has been awarded federal funding grants worth more than $1.6 billion, giving the landmark bridge and corridor project the green light to move toward construction.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the announcement Thursday.
“The time has finally come for us to get the companion bridge built,” Gov. Beshear said. “Funding and constructing the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project is more than the fulfillment of my administration’s promise – it’s a dream fulfilled for the thousands of travelers who pass through the bustling region every day waiting eagerly for traffic relief to come on this nationally significant corridor.”
(Photo form ODOT)
Last year’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) paved the way for the way for the project. The legislation authorized a historic investment in the nation’s infrastructure and provides robust resources to states to fund major bridge projects specifically.
Over five years, the IIJA will deliver billions of dollars to Kentucky to improve the commonwealth’s roads, bridges, airports, railroads, waterways, broadband and more. Sen. McConnell contacted U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to advocate directly for Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project funding.
“For decades, inadequate capacity on the aging Brent Spence Bridge has created headaches for drivers traveling between Kentucky and Ohio,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell. “Today, we’re taking a major step toward fixing the problem.”
The Brent Spence Bridge was constructed in the 1960s to carry around 80,000 vehicles a day, but the daily traffic load on Interstate Highways 75 and 71 has reached 160,000 vehicles in recent years. Because I-75 is a key freight corridor stretching from Canada to Florida, the congestion impacts commerce and commuters who travel the corridor in the eastern United States.
(Image from brentspencebridgecorridor.com)
Project plans call for the construction of a companion bridge to the west of the existing Brent Spence Bridge, as well as improvements to the current bridge and the roadway network that ties into each river crossing. As a result of robust engagement with local partners, there will be enhanced pedestrian access across I-75 in Cincinnati to reconnect downtown with western neighborhoods and the City of Cincinnati will regain nearly 10 acres to develop in the downtown area. In Kentucky, the project will include a new storm sewer system to reduce flooding and improve local roads, including enhanced pedestrian and bicycle facilities, in the area of the existing and new bridge.
“Ohio and Kentucky have been discussing the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project for almost two decades, and now, we can finally move beyond the talk and get to work,” said Gov. DeWine. “This project will not only ease the traffic nightmare that drivers have suffered through for years, but it will also help ensure that the movement of the supply chain doesn’t stall on this nationally significant corridor.”
The project team – consisting of representatives from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) – applied jointly for funding and have outlined terms to move the project to construction.
The once-in-a-lifetime competitive funding was made available through the passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that invested billions of dollars to revitalize infrastructure and spur the economy.
In July, Govs. DeWine and Beshear announced revised plans based on community engagement and technical analysis to shrink the project footprint while still delivering a transformative project that meets the needs of the region.
“Nothing great is achieved alone, and I’m proud of all the people who’ve come to the table over the years to ensure that we’ll deliver a project with huge benefits and minimal impacts to the communities that live in and around the project area,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said.
“This project doesn’t just move vehicles, it moves people,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. “We’re able to reconnect neighborhoods to downtown Cincinnati, improve safety and reduce congestion on this route, all while only adding a single lane to the interstate with this project.”
File photo
With funding secured, groundbreaking on the project is anticipated in late 2023 with larger construction activities in 2024. Substantial completion on the project is slated for 2029. The immediate next step will be the selection process to determine the Progressive Design Build contractor team to complete the project. That effort will begin in January when the Request for Proposals (RFP) is released to the contractor community.
The Federal Highway Administration recently required the project team to complete an analysis to better identify project cost estimates. Through this process, the project team determined the project is likely to cost about $3.6 billion. The increase from previous estimates was not unexpected, due to the recent impact of inflation in construction prices. As a result, the project team is updating the project’s financial plan to account for the change.
The Northern Kentucky Chamber issued the following statement:
“Today, we celebrate not only the upcoming investment in infrastructure but also a commitment to helping improve our economy and our collective quality of life.
“For this project to happen, it took action from leaders at the federal, state and local levels. They all deserve recognition, and our thanks, for making this happen. . .
“While it is true this project wouldn’t be happening without federal dollars, it is also true that it wouldn’t be happening without financial support and commitment from both Kentucky and Ohio. Governors Beshear and DeWine, as well as the Kentucky and Ohio Departments of Transportation, had to work together to make these federal applications happen.
“They needed the help and commitment for the project from both the Ohio and Kentucky state legislatures. Our Northern Kentucky Caucus played a significant role in Kentucky, and we’d like to single out leadership from Rep. Sal Santoro in the House and Senator Chris McDaniel in the Senate, both of whom worked extremely hard to make sure this project would happen.
“At the local level, we needed leadership from our local counties and cities, as well as everyone involved with the OKI Regional Council of Governments. Our three Judges Exec in Boone, Kenton and Campbell (Moore, Knochelmann and Pendery), all the county officials in Ohio, and our local Mayors on both sides of the river, all played a significant role in this effort. Mark Policinski and his team at OKI have been steadfast on this project over the years, and the entire OKI Board was determined the project remain front and center as a key regional project.
“We’d also like to acknowledge the role our fellow Chambers of Commerce played in championing infrastructure over the years. The U.S. Chamber, Kentucky State Chamber, and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, all deserve recognition for helping us lobby on national infrastructure and this project in particular. The business community has been a steady champion for investments in infrastructure and we celebrate this announcement together.
“We’d also like to recognize our community partners Tri-ED, REDI, OneNKY, MeetNKY and Visit Cincy, and many others, for helping us tell the story about the impact of this project on our local businesses and industries, and our small businesses in particular. . .
“Today’s announcement will help ensure our region remains a wonderful place to live, work, play, learn and give back.”
Kentucky Governor’s Office and staff reports
