Scott LeBlanc has long considered himself a “bridge guy.” That was until one day about 18 years ago when he rappelled off the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge in Warren County, Ohio. All 240 feet of it.

That’s when LeBlanc knew he wanted to be a “big bridge guy.” Emphasis on “big.” As in higher heights, longer spans and more complexity.

Bridges and bridge projects across the nation, let alone in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky, don’t get any bigger than the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) Project. That’s why it was no surprise LeBlanc jumped at the chance to become a construction lead on the Bistate Management Team responsible for the administration and delivery of the project.

“I warned my various bosses over the years that if the Brent Spence Bridge project ever gets off the ground, I’m throwing my hat in the ring,” LeBlanc says. “Big bridge projects don’t come along very often, let alone one like this.”

A civil engineering graduate of the University of Cincinnati and licensed professional engineer in Ohio and Kentucky, LeBlanc began his professional career working 10 years for a general contractor before joining the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in 2004. There he has held various construction positions within the organization, including Statewide Bridge Specialist out of ODOT’s Central Office in Columbus and District Construction Engineer in District 7 (Sidney) and District 8 (Lebanon).

LeBlanc said he’s excited to take on the scope and complexity of the BSBC Project, which consists of constructing a 1,500-foot-long, double-deck companion bridge across the Ohio River, six miles of roadway network including more than 55 bridges, as well as improvements to the current Brent Spence Bridge. That said, he is also aware of the perils that can come with a project of this nature.

“It is a massive undertaking with a lot of moving parts, all in a very confined footprint,” LeBlanc explains. “We will need the traveling public to treat our work zones like the residential streets they live on, paying attention, driving at posted speeds and using the various resources we will be providing to educate themselves on the current and upcoming impacts to traffic. The profession that we have chosen often takes place just feet from active traffic.”

This phase of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project is expected to last six or more years. That duration shouldn’t be a problem for this self-described “endurance junkie” who has completed three Ironman Triathlons, the Pikes Peak Marathon and the JFK 50 Mile trail race.

“I’m always up for a good challenge,” LeBlanc says.