CINCINNATI — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear say they have joined together to apply for nearly $2 billion in federal funding for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.
The governors announced their intent to request the funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation in February. They are requesting $1.66 billion in federal grant funding, which is approximately 60 percent of the remaining $2.77 billion project costs.
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In a release announcing the request, DeWine called the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor a “vital centerpiece to the interstate system of the United States.”
“With the current supply chain crisis in our country, the issue of ensuring that this major transportation corridor stays open and moving has never been more urgent,” DeWine said.
The project will construct a companion bridge next to the existing Brent Spence Bridge to help improve traffic flow and safety. Both states will also make improvements to the interstate network on either side of the bridges throughout an eight-mile corridor.
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Both states will split the cost of the new bridge evenly and will be responsible for the needed work on its side of the border, according to a release.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) will move forward with engineering work on the project as the federal government considers the governors’ funding application.
The Brent Spence Bridge carries Interstates 71 and 75 over the Ohio River. Originally designed to carry 80-100,000 vehicles a day, the bridge currently accommodates more than 160,000 vehicles per day.
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