Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine led federal, state and local leaders to break ground on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project recently.
The project, one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the country, will build a new state-of-the-art, cable-stayed companion bridge to the existing Brent Spence Bridge between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky. The current bridge is considered one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the country. The project will also replace all of the connections to the existing bridge – more than 30 overpasses or underpasses in Ohio and a dozen in Kentucky.
“Today, we took a major step forward for Kentucky, Ohio and America as we broke ground on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project,” said Gov. Beshear. “This historic project will deliver safer travel for our families, create good-paying construction jobs, boost national commerce and ease congestion for commuters. From securing federal and state funding to ensuring project plans are moving forward, my administration has worked hard to deliver on this promise. When we work together, great things can happen for the American people – something Kentucky and Ohio are proving daily.”
Officials said more than $1 billion in freight passes through the Brent Spence Bridge corridor daily. The bridge has served the region since 1963, and now carries significantly more traffic than it was designed to handle. More than 40 years ago, the bridge was reconfigured with an additional fourth lane in each direction to handle growing traffic demand. However, that reconfiguration removed emergency shoulders and narrowed lanes, which made the bridge less safe and contributed to congestion in the cases of vehicle breakdowns or minor crashes.
The latest bridge project includes improvements to the existing Brent Spence Bridge for local traffic, including restoration of the emergency shoulders, redesigned ramp configurations, and new pedestrian and bike paths to strengthen community connectivity.
“Today, after decades of planning and preparation, we are finally breaking ground on a solution to the traffic headaches and interstate commerce delays caused by the overcrowded Brent Spence Bridge,” DeWine said. “This new companion bridge will make our roads safer and our economy stronger, while demonstrating what’s possible when states and the federal government work together to solve our biggest challenges.”