Design chosen for new $3.6 billion interstate bridge at Cincinnati, Covington

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Wednesday unveiled the selected design of the state-of-the-art companion bridge to be built as part of the 8-mile Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

The selected design is a cable-stayed double-deck bridge. Instead of a traditional steel truss to support the bi-level bridge’s lower deck, both decks will be supported by a cabling system similar to those used in other modern bridges, such as the Abraham Lincoln Bridge in Louisville. Unlike other double-deck bridges, no steel work will connect the two decks.

Drivers crossing from Kentucky into Ohio will see an unobstructed view of the Cincinnati skyline. 

The design team, managed by the Ohio Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, evaluated criteria including their visual connection to the existing bridge, wind testing, and constructability. Compared to the other options considered, this design is lower in cost and easier to build.

In May 2024, both states received federal environmental approval to move forward with the project. The Federal Highway Administration made the design decision this week, allowing the project to advance to design details and construction. During the federal grant application process, the project was estimated to cost $3.6 billion. 

The companion bridge is needed to relieve traffic in what is reported to be one of the largest bottlenecks in truck traffic in the nation. The existing Brent Spence Bridge currently carries traffic volumes far exceeding its original design capacity. When built in 1963, the bridge carried 80,000 vehicles per day, but that number has since doubled to 160,000 per day.

The existing bridge will be reconfigured to three lanes on each deck with emergency shoulders on each side to improve safety while carrying local traffic between Covington and Cincinnati on I-71 and I-75.

With the bridge type now selected, the project team will continue refining project and design details. A timeline for construction and other details will now be developed. Substantial completion was initially scheduled for 2029, but that was when groundbreaking was expected in 2023. 

Updates will be available at the website  brentspencebridgecorridor.com .