The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced Monday it had requested proposals from consultants for contract administration, public outreach, project management, and control tasks related to the eventual design and building of the Brent Spence Bridge Project.
The announcement is the latest in Ohio and Kentucky’s move to improve the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor, including improvements to I-71/I-75 and the bridge itself. ODOT said the selected consultant will be co-managed by a joint team within ODOT and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).
“These next key steps move us ever closer to unlocking the real potential of the I-71/75 corridor for this region, our two states, and our country,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. “The request for a pre-procurement consultant and these next steps are very important as we ramp up to getting this much-needed project built.”
The project includes improvements to an estimated 8 miles of highway and the addition of a companion bridge on the west side of the existing Brent Spence Bridge. The additional capacity, officials said, would alleviate congestion, improve safety and open up the freight corridor. The corridor carries an estimated 3 percent of the nation’s GDP annually. Current plans call for the separation of local and interstate traffic, officials said, in hopes of improving access to local businesses and communities in Covington and Cincinnati.
“Our team has been busy working with our counterparts in Ohio to ensure we are ready to move forward once funds are awarded,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “We have already taken many of the important steps necessary for a project of this size and scope that start long before the first shovel is placed.”