CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Brent Spence Bridge that connects Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky is one of the busiest corridors in the entire country. 

• New bridge would be constructed west of the existing stucture
• Both bridges would be divided for passthrough commuters and local drivers
• Project cost estimated between $2.6-$3.5 billion depending on construction start date

Spanning the Ohio River, it carries two interstates and on-and-off ramps to a variety of other state roads and local streets. Commuters fear its congestion and local politicians fear the price tag to ease the traffic concerns. 

Since the late 1990s, both Ohio and Kentucky have spent millions of dollars on at least six studies about how the bridge impacts the area, traffic patterns, replacement and refurbishment options, or building entirely new roads to bypass the bridge.

The main thoroughfare over the bridge, I-75, is one of the most traveled interstates in the U.S. Connecting Michigan and Florida and every state in between. 

The Brent Spence Bridge opened in 1963. It cost about $10 million to construct. Originally, the bridge carried three lanes on its upper and lower decks. In 1985 the emergency shoulders were eliminated and the lanes were narrowed to accommodate four lanes in each direction.

I-71 was routed across the bridge beginning in 1970.

Today, more than 160,000 vehicles use the bridge – more than double its original intent. 

In 1998 the Federal Highway Administration deemed the bridge safe but “functionally obsolete,” meaning it's use was no longer viable to the demand of traffic in the area. 

Over the last decade-plus, federal, state, and local officials have developed plans to fix the traffic problem. Ohio Governor John Kasich and former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, both Republicans, reached an agreement to equally split the cost of building a new bridge despite ownership of the bridge belonging to the State of Kentucky. 

The Ohio Department of Transportation has handled most of the engineering and planning due to available resources. 

The projected cost of a new bridge, refurbishment of the current Brent Spence Bridge, and modifications to eight miles of existing highway is approaching a price tag of $3 billion, according to ODOT. 

But how to pay for that has become a political hot potato. Ohio has the ability to levy tolls and plans to do so to help finance the project. The state would use other money sources, such as federal and state dollars, to fund the project. 

Kentucky, through legislative action, cannot levy tolls and has yet to publicly identify a means for funding their portion of the project. In 2016, Governor Matt Bevin (R-KY) signed a bill prohibiting tolls on the new Brent Spence Bridge. 

But recent reports indicate using tolls could be an option in the future. 

Bob Yearger is the Chief Engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6 office.  

“Once we look at a finance plan all the options will be on the table,” Yeager told Spectrum News 1 in an interview from his office overlooking I-71 and I-75. “We certainly don't want to take an option just because it looks like the logical one. We certainly want to make sure we've covered all our bases, we've done that. The public deserves that. They need to know this is well thought out and we're looking after their best interests.”

Ohio has already started securing right-of-way for the project which will include connecting roads to a new bridge that will sit to the west of the current Brent Spence Bridge. 

Both states emphasize the current bridge is safe and is decades away from its life expectancy, but safety of motorists who use the bridge is a pressing concern.

“It creates a safety hazard because first responders can't get to people that may be broken down on the bridge,” said ODOT District 8 Spokesman Brian Cunningham. “There are secondary crashes that happen because of the volume of traffic on the bridge that could be prevented if we have a redesigned bridge and a new one.”

Without emergency shoulders, first responders have to move with traffic to reach someone in distress. There are more than 650 calls for help from motorists on the bridge each year, according to information from ODOT and KYTC. 

Officials agree without a federal infrastructure plan it will be difficult to pay for the project with taxpayer money alone. But one option that has been floated in recent years are public-private partnerships, or P3's. 

Private entities would provide funding for the project in return for payments that eventually lead to a profit. The risk of that payment would determine how much money a private company or organization might be willing to pay. States could set parameters on how much private money could go into the project. 

“What drives all of this again is how are they going to be paid, how quickly are they going to be paid, and what is going to be their profit that they derive from those payments,” said Mark Policinski, CEO of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments.

Policinski and the 117 member board at OKI will approve the final project for the Brent Spence Bridge. The organization is made up of local governments in the tri-state area, businesses, and organizations. 

The group is already working parallel to project planners so when the final plans are ready, they're won't be any hiccups to approval.

But private funding would allow financial relief to the states which, of course, depends on how much money the federal government would provide for the project. 

“And one of the most secure ways to pay this back, which would actually lower the cost of the bridge and increase the amount of funding on a percentage basis the private sector firm would take, is if tolls are involved,” said Policinski.

Currently, Ohio and Kentucky do not have a financial plan on paper. Legislators in both states have yet to take up the issue. 

The federal government may be close to working out a federal infrastructure plan. Democrats have made it a priority in 2019 as they take over control of the U.S. House. President Trump, who campaigned on infrastructure in 2016, appears willing to work with Democrats to get a plan in place. 

Last year, a document leaked showing the Brent Spence Bridge was number one on a list of critical infrastructure projects by then-candidate Trump. It's unclear if the bridge would be a top priority in a new bill.