FAQ
Answers to common questions about the Project
Got questions about the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project? We’ve got answers! Keep reading for Frequently Asked Questions about the project and all its ins and outs.
A: One of the most important infrastructure projects in the U.S., the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) Project includes renovations and updates to the Brent Spence Bridge (BSB), the construction of a new companion bridge to the immediate west of the existing BSB, five miles of roadway improvements on I-71/75 in Kentucky and three miles of roadway improvements on I-75 in Ohio. Roadway improvements include interstate reconstruction, the construction of a collector-distributor system to move traffic to and from the local system to the interstates, and the widening and reconfiguration of multiple interchanges. This investment will improve travel through and around downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky along I-71/I-75.
The full project will be delivered in three phases. The first is a progressive design-build project, which includes the highway work in Kentucky, the new companion bridge, the rehabilitation of the existing Brent Spence Bridge and one mile of highway in Ohio. There are two additional phases of I-75 reconstruction in Ohio that will be completed via the traditional design-bid-build method.
A: Fueled by bipartisan cooperation and community engagement, the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project will invest in local communities and help grow America’s economy. Spanning eight miles between the Western Hills Viaduct in Ohio and Dixie Highway in Kentucky, the project will address one of the worst truck bottlenecks in the nation by improving safety and mobility along the interstate segment, which carries more than $400 billion worth of freight every year.
In addition, the project will improve access to the central business districts of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, reconnect historic neighborhoods and support local businesses and underserved communities on both sides of the river. Ohio and Kentucky are working together to deliver this transformative project that will improve the quality of life for the millions of Americans who use the federal highway system to travel between the two states and beyond.
A: Early construction projects to prepare for the new bridge are expected to begin in 2025. The project team is working through the detailed design and schedule and expects to have an update later in 2025.
A: Walsh Kokosing Joint Venture is the lead design-build team (DBT) contractor for Phase 3 of the project, which is the first and largest component, encompassing five miles of interstate in Kentucky, the new companion bridge and one mile of interstate in Ohio. AECOM is the lead designer, Jacobs is the independent companion bridge engineer, and Parsons is the independent design quality firm. The project is being managed by a bi-state management team comprised of the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
This phase of the project will reconstruct about five miles of I-71/75 in Kentucky and about one mile of I-75 in Ohio, adding a collector distributor system to facilitate travel from the local roadway network to and from the I-71/I-75 interstates. Both decks of the current Brent Spence Bridge (north and southbound) will be replaced and used for local traffic only. A new companion bridge will be constructed over the Ohio River west of the current bridge.
A: During the federal grant application process, the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project was estimated to cost $3.6 billion. As the project moves through the design phase toward construction, cost estimates will be confirmed or adjusted.
A: The project was awarded $1.635 billion from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), in December of 2022, giving the green light to move toward construction. The Kentucky General Assembly has passed, and Gov. Beshear has signed, a budget bill that includes funding required to fulfill state match commitments. Ohio is using a combination of transportation program funding and bonds to pay for its portion of the project.
A: The existing Brent Spence Bridge will remain in service. The bridge is safe and structurally sound and will serve a critical transportation need for decades to come. Current planning and traffic analyses indicate that additional capacity is needed to support more efficient national, regional, and local travel for drivers who use I-71/75. The existing bridge will be used to carry local traffic between Cincinnati and Covington. The new companion bridge will carry I-71/I-75 traffic across the Ohio River, thus separating local from regional and national travel. This separation will improve safety and support better access to the Covington and Cincinnati business districts.
A: Exact traffic plans have not been finalized. Once the project and design plans have been completed, a detailed maintenance of traffic plan will be developed and related travel impacts will be publicized in advance. As with any construction project, traffic impacts, road closures and delays are expected to maintain a safe work zone.
A: Yes. ODOT and KYTC conducted robust public involvement activities during the Environmental Assessment that was completed in 2012 and again in 2023 and 2024 during the Supplemental Environmental Assessment. The bi-state management team held 12 small targeted neighborhood outreach meetings throughout the corridor, two broad-scale outreach meetings and two open house events in each state, as well as five public hearings, both in person and virtually. The project team continues to meet with community leaders and neighborhoods, as needed, to provide project updates and answer questions.
Over the course of the public engagement efforts, the project team has answered hundreds of questions from the public, which are published every month on the project website here.
ODOT and KYTC have worked closely with local partners to incorporate changes to the project based on innovations advanced by the design-build team and suggestions from public comments and feedback. Changes made to the base design from 2012 reduced the width of the companion bridge from 172 feet to 107 feet to substantially reduce the impact to local municipalities and property owners.
A: Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, agencies must consider the impacts of their actions to the human and natural environment. In 2012, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project upon completion of the original Environmental Assessment, which included extensive public involvement.
Once funding became available at the end of 2022 signaling the project could begin preparation for construction, a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) was initiated to assess project, regulatory and environmental changes. As part of this process, the project team assessed current regulatory requirements, changed site conditions and design refinements to the previously selected alternative, impact changes (mostly reductions), additional environmental commitments (enhancements and mitigations) and additional NEPA reevaluation and coordination efforts that had occurred since the original FONSI was issued.
The final SEA was released for public review in January of 2024 with public hearings held in February where more than 550 people attended. In May 2024, FHWA again issued a FONSI based on the SEA. All documents associated with this assessment and 2024 FONSI can be found under “2024” on the project website here.
A: Yes. Stakeholder committees have been formed to support the project’s development and implementation. Stakeholders serve a critical role by bringing valuable input from their constituents to the project team and advocating for the project in their communities.
Committees include the Project Advisory Committee, the Aesthetics Committee, and the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
A: KYTC and ODOT have worked closely with the cities of Covington and Cincinnati to incorporate shared local priorities into the project design, such as reducing stormwater runoff from the highways to prevent flooding and reconnecting local neighborhoods, where feasible. Some notable community benefits of the project include:
Reconnecting communities through new and improved multimodal and pedestrian-friendly improvements
Returning approximately 11 acres of land for public use
Separating local and through traffic to improve safety and support better access to the Covington and Cincinnati business districts
Honoring local requests to separate highway stormwater runoff from the combined sewer system
Investing in much-needed quality-of-life amenities in urban communities within the corridor (such as a new master plan for Goebel Park in Kentucky, new shared-use trail connections; reducing impacts to Queensgate Playground and Ballfield)
Providing aesthetic features that establish a more dynamic sense of place in urban neighborhoods (such as built in planters or benches along pedestrian walkways, creating a new gateway intersection at Third Street in Covington, and creating branded overpasses that visually integrate into the community)
Mitigation (offsetting measures to anticipated impacts) for impacts to public parks and historic properties to protect them during construction
A: Yes. The BSBC Project will be shared by the entire community. It represents a historic federal investment in our region, and as such brings the opportunity for unprecedented involvement. This includes participation by small, minority, and women-owned businesses that are certified as Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms in Ohio and Kentucky, as well as tremendous workforce development opportunities for all.
The project will need an estimated six million hours worked by nearly 700 tradespeople, creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to launch a career or grow a local business.
Opportunities will be updated regularly on the Walsh Kokosing DBT website, as well as upcoming workforce and business education events on the project website.
A: To offset the uncertainties in today’s construction market, including inflation and supply chain pricing and availability, the project team made the decision to move forward with Progressive Design-Build Procurement for the first and largest component of the corridor project, which will allow the project owners (ODOT and KYTC) and the design-build team (Design Firm and Contractors) to price materials closer to when they will be used for construction.
The DBT was selected based on qualifications while considering their pricing approach rather than qualifications and a fixed or lowest bidder price. This procurement approach also allows the project team to work collaboratively on the project design with the DBT to identify cost-effective solutions that meet the goals of the project and community. It also brings more certainty to the project delivery process.
A: Questions and comments regarding the project can be submitted on the project website, BrentSpenceBridgeCorridor.com.