COVINGTON, Ky. — Following a fiery collision last Wednesday that left the Brent Spence Bridge closed indefinitely, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Secretary Jim Gray provided an update today, assuring complete safety once the repairs are completed in late December.
What You Need To Know
- KYTC Secretary Jim Gray announced a team for the project, emphasized safety
- Five inspectors will remain on-site at all times
- Gray signed an official order to deter large trucks from detouring through downtown Covington
- Assured that the bridge is safe, main issue is "capacity"
The bridge remains closed to motor vehicle traffic. The crash involved two commercial motor vehicles around 2:45 a.m. Wed, Nov. 11. Construction is projected to complete in late December, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
Gray shared that the contractor — Kokosing Construction Co. — will be submitting deck demolition plans Thursday, begin saw-cutting concrete Friday, and begin removing demolished deck sections Saturday.
"Safety is the most important thing during this whole process," Gray said. "There will be no cutting corners."
While he emphasized the bridge's safety, Gray stressed that the main issue plaguing the bridge is its capacity.
When construction finished in 1963, the Brent Spence Bridge was only intended to accomodate around 80,000 travelers per day. According to Gray, it saw over 200,000 per day before its closure last week.
"This bridge is clearly over its intended capacity," Gray said.
Gray said the bridge is currently safe and it will be even safer once repairs are finished. KYTC intends to keep five inspectors on-site at all times to ensure "absolute safety."
The detours caused by Brent Spence's closure have been a traffic nightmare for thousands, and Gray enacted a solution to one of the traffic's root causes, signing an official order to deter large trucks from bypassing the longer detour and going into downtown Covington instead.
Large trucks have caused massive jams in downtown Covington, so Gray hopes this order will alleviate some of those jams. Trucks making local deliveries are excluded from the order.
Travelers around the area are urged to "please plan ahead and know your route" during the bridge's repair process.
Bryce Shreve is a digital producer with Spectrum News 1 KY. He is a recent graduate of Indiana University Southeast and joined the staff in November, 2020.