Tommy Arnold is a Cincinnatian through and through. Outside of the time he spent earning his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Dayton, Arnold has lived in Cincinnati his entire life. Although he spent the majority of his 20-year career with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)’s Planning Department, his fingerprints are already on Cincinnati’s roadways — Arnold was the project manager for the Interstate 71-Martin Luther King Jr. Drive interchange, the first two-step, low-bid design-build project ever constructed in Ohio. 

Now, Arnold gets another opportunity to leave his mark on his hometown in his role as Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project manager. He’s thrilled to have the chance to bring the project across the finish line, but he’s even happier that the funding for the project came through so that his former boss, ODOT District 8 Capital Programs Administrator Stefan Spinosa, gets the opportunity to see this massive project come to fruition. 

“For so many years, we thought this project was not ever going to happen because it was so hard to find the funding,” Arnold says. “I really have been praying and hoping that it would come through in [Spinosa’s] career, which it has now. So that’s very fulfilling, and I’m very happy for him to see it going forward.” 

Arnold is even happier for all of the Cincinnatians he knows the project will help.

“This is a huge opportunity for our region,” Arnold says. “Everybody knows the Brent Spence Bridge project, and what we’re looking to do is use the notoriety of the project to really spread the word about the construction industry and the transportation industry. It is an excellent career to get into and there are more opportunities every day. 

“I want people to really think about a career either in engineering or in the trades in the transportation world because we need help. There’s plenty of openings on the agency side, the contractor side, the design side, and it’s just a great career.”

A father of three, Arnold loves to spend time with his family outside of work. And his love for helping others isn’t limited to his professional life – he enjoys helping coach his kids’ soccer teams. An accomplished songwriter and guitarist, Arnold has also helped his daughter and two sons discover their passions for music.