CINCINNATI — Nearly three years ago, traffic was halted over the Ohio River after two semis collided and caught fire on the Brent Spence Bridge.

Following the inferno, the Ohio to Kentucky route underwent seven weeks of repair.

Since then, the entire corridor has been reimagined.

What You Need To Know

  • Cincinnati residents weighed in on Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project

  • More than 100 people came to view renderings and listen to videos

  • Many are excited while others have questions and concerns

  • Project officials taking all comments into consideration

Last month, Gov. Mike DeWine joined Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to announce the design and build team for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.

It includes a new contract with two construction companies that will address six of the corridor’s total eight miles, including five miles of I-71/75 in Kentucky and one mile of I-75 in Ohio.

It also includes improvements to the Brent Spence Bridge and the construction of a new companion bridge to its immediate west.

Officials are now moving toward an early 2024 groundbreaking, with construction to run until 2032.

It will start with the bridges themselves, reconfiguration of the existing Brent Spence Bridge and building the new companion bridge.

Before shovels hit the ground, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are welcoming public comment.

Open House meetings were held in both Covington, Ky. and Cincinnati, Ohio and both welcomed large crowds of people curious about the project.

People looked closely at the many renderings and watched videos about the timeline and design.

At a projected $3.6 billion, it’s one of the biggest projects in the country and will head into the next decade.

Many people are excited, but many also have questions and concerns about the process.

“I think it’s great, I’m really excited about it. One for the community in which I lived all my life and also the look that it’s going to bring,” said Cincinnati resident Marlene Purdie.

“We’re concerned about several issues related to the bridge project. One is there’s no provision for public transportation now or for the future. It would be nice if there could be dedicated bus lanes or light rail or things like that,” said Anderson Township resident Robert Park.

Even though the design team is in place, officials with the project are taking public comments very seriously. 

There is still a little bit of time for adjustments.

In December and January, there will be another public hearing and availability for public comments.

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