LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled the design of the new bridge set to be built over the Ohio River between Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.
The "state-of-the-art" cable-stayed independent deck bridge is the centerpiece of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, and officials cited Louisville's Abraham Lincoln Bridge as an architectural comparison.
"The new companion bridge will be a game-changer for commuting families and it'll revolutionize a crucial economic corridor," Gov. Beshear said. "This is a project that has been dreamed of for years and that many said would never happen. But we are getting it done by working together -- and we're doing it without tolls."
In May 2024, both states received federal environmental approval to move forward with the $3.6 billion project. The Federal Highway Administration made the decision this week, allowing the project to advance to design and construction.
The corridor stretches from the Western Hills Viaduct in Ohio to Dixie Highway in Kentucky. The Brent Spence Bridge itself connects Cincinnati with Covington.
The updated bridge will be built without tolls and transform an 8-mile portion of Interstates 75 and 71, including a new companion bridge immediately to the west of the existing bridge.
The Brent Spence Bridge carried 80,000 vehicles per day when it was built, but that number has since doubled to 160,000 per day.
"As we went through the designs, we wanted this bridge to be cost effective, functional, and safe, but we also wanted it to look good," said Governor DeWine. "This bridge will become an iconic part of the Cincinnati skyline and create a landmark gateway that honors our states' excellence in engineering, transforms the daily commute, and keeps commerce moving."
"Substantial completion" was initially scheduled for 2029, but that was when groundbreaking was expected in 2023. Project officials have yet to give an updated timeline for construction.
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