CINCINNATI —Ohio and Kentucky will get more than $1.63 billion in federal grants to help build a new Ohio River bridge near Cincinnati and improve the existing overloaded span there, a heavily used freight route linking the Midwest and the South, officials announced Thursday.
Congestion at the Brent Spence Bridge on Interstates 75 and 71 has for years been a frustration for travelers, a bottleneck on a key shipping corridor and thus a symbol of the nation’s growing infrastructure needs. Officials say the bridge was built in 1963 to carry around 80,000 vehicles a day but has seen double that traffic load on its narrow lanes, leading the Federal Highway Administration to declare it functionally obsolete.
“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 Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, in a statement.
“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…I’m grateful to the teams in both states who have worked so hard to make this project a reality.” – Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH)
An estimated 3% of the nation’s gross domestic product crosses over the bridge every year.
The planned project covers about 8 miles and includes improvements to the bridge and some connecting roads and construction of a companion span nearby. The two states coordinated to request funding under the bipartisan infrastructure deal signed last year by President Joe Biden, a Democrat who had touted the project while the legislation was under consideration.
“The infrastructure law is already making Ohio bridges safer – starting right here in Cincinnati – and I’m going to keep working to make sure Ohio gets its fair share – or more – of infrastructure funding.” – U.S. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
“Today’s award announcement is a historic achievement for the region. Because of this funding, Ohio and Kentucky can now move forward with the rehabilitation of the Brent Spence Bridge and construction of a new companion bridge, which will ease traffic along the entire I-71/I-75 corridor. I commend the state officials and federal partners on both sides of the river that have come together to make this day a reality.” – U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
Officials anticipate breaking ground in late 2023 and hope to have much of the work done by 2029.
The two states are also spending state dollars on the project. Its estimated total price tag has grown to about $3.6 billion because of inflation and rising construction costs, officials said.