Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray announced the state has awarded a $3.1 million contract to repair fire-damage incurred by the Brent Spence Bridge following a crash last week.
Westerville, Ohio-based Kokosing Construction Co. submitted the low bid of $3,127,528 to repair the bridge and committed to having the bridge re-open by Dec. 23. Additional costs – for traffic control, construction inspection, and additional steel, have yet to be determined.
The bridge, which serves as one of the main connections between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, was closed on Nov. 11 after two tractor-trailers, one carrying potassium hydroxide, collided in the middle of the lower level of the two-deck bridge. Investigators said that because of the chemical, the fire’s temperatures reached 1,500 degrees.
On a typical day, the bridge carries about 160,000 vehicles a day across the Ohio River as the access point between Kentucky and Ohio, where I-71 and I-75 converge. Gov. Andy Beshear said at the time of the crash that the bridge would remain closed until inspectors felt the bridge was safe.
A thorough inspection after the crash found that damage was localized and that the bridge’s structural integrity was not compromised.
“The bridge is safe and sound and sturdy. The damage could have been far worse,” Gray said. “This has been confirmed through an exhaustive inspection of the bridge, supported by laboratory analysis.”
Gray said the repairs would have been much more complicated if any steel support were damaged or otherwise compromised.
“Once the lab testing told us the critical supports were still strong and not compromised, the repair job became clear from an engineering and construction standpoint,” Gray said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation authorized up to $12 million in emergency relief reimbursement funding for the project. Repairs will include replacing a section of the upper concrete deck, steel beams to support the deck weight, rehabilitation of a section of the lower deck, and replacement of concrete bridge railing, including electrical and drainage work.