The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project design-build team will review an innovative concept proposed by the Cincinnati Department of Transportation & Engineering — a park-like “cap” over Interstate 75 along Ezzard Charles Drive.

Also known as freeway lids or decks, these wide overpasses are designed to create new urban green spaces while reconnecting nearby street grids. Nationwide, caps have proven to be successful in combining infrastructure upgrades with community connections and economic growth.

The proposed Ezzard Charles Drive cap would widen the overpass without changing the crossing distance, while the added space could allow for pedestrian paths, enhanced landscaping, social gathering areas and small retail development. The cap would improve connectivity between neighborhoods divided by I-75 and create a gateway for the Cincinnati Museum Center and the West End neighborhood.

The Ohio Department of Transportation supports exploring the idea and partially funding its construction. The Walsh Kokosing Design-Build Team will analyze the concept for feasibility and costs as part of the project’s innovation period. The Ezzard Charles cap idea emerged following recent meetings of the city’s 15-member community advisory committee, which includes representatives of neighborhood groups, businesses, and local government. The City of Cincinnati called the concept “transformational” in an announcement detailing the idea.

Media Contacts

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

Recent News Releases

• Walsh Kokosing Design-Build Team Celebrates Women in Construction Week
• Apprenticeship Readiness Program to Expand Career Pathways in Skilled Trades
• Prime Contractor Named for Longworth Hall Buildout
• ‘It’s our bridge’: Local workers hope BSB corridor project brings once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
• More Than 550 Attend Public Hearings
• Five Things to Know as Brent Spence Bridge Project Marks Another Milestone
• Brent Spence companion bridge project update: New bridge could open by 2029
• Brent Spence Bridge Corridor important to Dayton region, chamber leader says
• BSBC Project Marks Major Milestone with Release of Environmental Document for Public Review
• Public Encouraged to Attend Public Hearings in February