LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than 3,000 bridges throughout Kentucky are in need of repairs, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

The bridge on I-64 over 3rd and 5th street is among the top five most traveled bridges in the state of Kentucky. Now, they could soon see a face lift.

“States and counties and localities across the country have really struggled to make the investments we need to keep our bridges in good condition. And as a result we have over 43,000 bridges across the country in poor condition,” Stephanie Pollack, deputy administrator for Federal Highway Administration said.

For Kentucky, that struggle may finally be over. Congressman John Yarmuth and Sen. Mitch McConnell both made announcements that Kentucky will receive $438 million in bridge funding over the next five years. It comes thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which they both voted for.

The funding can be used to replace, preserve and protect highway and off-system bridges throughout Kentucky.

“We're woefully behind in maintaining and modernizing our infrastructure and this will allow us to do things that we've been putting off for a number of years,” Congressman Yarmuth said. “We have hundreds of bridges, if not thousands of bridges in Kentucky, that are in need of repair.”

They're long-awaited upgrade to bridges in Jefferson County, where I-65 over East Kentucky Street has nearly 120,000 daily crossings. In Franklin County, I-64 west bound over the Kentucky River was built in 1962 and is in need of repairs.

“States have a process they go through to figure out what bridges to spend it on and we want them to have the money now, in January, figure out what bridges make sense and get into construction this spring,” Pollack said.

In the fiscal year of 2022, Kentucky can expect $87.7 million to fund, repair, and replace bridges.

McConnell and Yarmuth are the only members of Kentucky's Congressional delegation to vote yes on the infrastructure bill.

Although the program doesn't fund major bridges like the Brent-Spence, Kentucky will be able to compete for another bridge investment program.

“The other program is a $12.5 billion in a competitive grant program for a larger, more complicated nationally and regionally significant bridge project,” Pollack said. “While ultimately it's the states decision not federal highways, I think the competitive program is probably a better fit  for larger bridge projects like the Brent-Spence.”

This program is the largest investment ever made in fixing bridges. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes the new bridge formula program funds to include off-system bridges owned by a county, city, town or local agency.