CINCINNATI — The proposed infrastructure bill in Washington D.C. would include a pathway for funding that agencies could use to address the Brent Spence Bridge corridor, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said Tuesday.
“I am pleased this historic bipartisan infrastructure agreement paves the way to address the Brent Spence Bridge,” Portman said. “As a life-long Cincinnatian, I have seen firsthand the ever-growing need for our community to invest in a solution for this outdated bridge.”
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The Brent Spence Bridge first opened in 1963 and was designed the handle about 80,000 vehicles per day, but now more than 160,000 vehicle pass over the bridge that connects Ohio to Kentucky.
“The National Bridge Inventory lists the bridge as “functionally obsolete” due to concerns with capacity, sight distance and safety,” according to the Ohio and Kentucky departments of transportation. It’s a designation the state’s say the bridge has had since 1998.
Portman said the proposed infrastructure bill would provide $60 billion for state and local governments to fund projects like the Brent Spence Bridge. He said $45 billion would come in the form of grant funding.
Part of the proposed project for the Brent Spence Bridge would include a companion bridge that would double the number of lanes through the corridor, with some lanes dedicated to local traffic and others for through traffic.
The proposed project has been in development since at least 2017 and the financial plan to fund it has still not been determined.
The Brent Spence Bridge was thrust into the public eye in late 2020, when a fiery crash closed the key thoroughfare for six weeks while repairs were made to the bridge.
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In March, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet began managing the routine maintenance project that includes painting and cleaning the bridge. The maintenance is expected to be completed mid-November.
Transportation leaders have said the Brent Spence Bridge is “critical to the movement of people, goods, and services” between Kentucky and Ohio on I-75 and I-71.
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