The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are preparing for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.  As part of this preparation, ODOT has secured a rule change in the Ohio Administrative Code which will make it easier for small, disadvantaged, and minority owned businesses to perform construction work on the Project.  The rule change, which was effective May 1, 2023, increases the amount of construction work a firm can perform on the Project if the firm is not prequalified with the Ohio Department of Transportation. 

The prior rule limited non-prequalified firms to performing $1 million of construction work on any ODOT projects within a year.  The new rule now allows non-prequalified firms to perform $1 million of construction work on any ODOT projects within a year, and an additional $1 million of work on the Brent Spence Bridge project.  

The rule change also increases the limit non-prequalified firms can perform per project.  Under the prior rule, non-prequalified firms were limited to 20% of the project’s value or $5million, whichever was less.  The new rule increases the per project limit allowed for non-prequalified firms to work on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project to 10% of the overall cost of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project. Additional information regarding contractor prequalification can be found at https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/working/contracts/prequal-cert/03-prequal-cert.

In addition to helping small, disadvantaged and minority owned business, ODOT and KYTC are investing in helping to prepare the local workforce for the Project.  Kentucky is providing funding to increase the number of women, minority, veteran or economically disadvantaged individuals who hold Class A Commercial Driver’s Licenses, specifically in the Cincinnati and Covington area to work on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project. These programs will assist individuals with receiving the necessary training to become qualified Class A CDL holders and work in the construction industry jobs associated with the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project.  Individuals interested in participating in this program to receive their Class A CDL license in Kentucky should reach out to Tony Youssefi at [email protected]. ODOT and KYTC are also investing in educating youth about careers in the transportation industry.  In conjunction with Big Brothers Big Sisters, ODOT participated in a 2023 summer program, Camp Oty’Okwa, where 395 children from across Ohio learned about the relationship between the transportation industry and our environment.  Campers participated in hands-on activities such as the building paper bridges activity.  In this activity, students learned about the Brent Spence Bridge project and worked in teams of 5 to design, sketch and build a paper bridge.  Students were assigned the roles of the Governor of Ohio, Governor of Kentucky, Project Designer, Structural Engineer, and Bridge Safety Inspector to design and build a paper bridge.  Activities such as this, created a fun interactive environment for campers to learn and develop interests in transportation careers.

Media Contacts

KYTC: Naitore Djigbenou – 502-782-4829
ODOT: Matt Bruning – (614) 466-6906

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