Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced they have submitted an application requesting nearly $2 billion in federal funding to make improvements to the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor that runs through Northern Kentucky and the City of Cincinnati.
Ohio and Kentucky are requesting $1.66 billion in federal grant funding through the Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant. The grant request represents about 60 percent of the remaining $2.77 billion project cost. Each state will also allocate state and other federal dollars toward the project. The states will split the cost of the new bridge equally, with each state responsible for the needed work on its side of the border.
"The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor is a vital centerpiece to the interstate system of the United States, and we are optimistic that the federal government will recognize the importance of this project for both our national economy and national security," said Governor DeWine. "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."
“Ohio and Kentucky are working together to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the quality of life for the millions of Americans who use the federal highway system to travel between our two states,” said Governor Beshear. “I pledged to fight for every available federal dollar and have a shovel-ready project once funding is secured. The time is now to invest in transformative infrastructure that supports our growing workforce and safe travel along one of the nation’s most important commerce corridors.”
Governors DeWine and Beshear announced their intent to request funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation in February.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recently announced that engineering work on the project will move forward as the federal government considers the application, and they will begin meeting with companies interested in working on the project.
The Brent Spence Bridge, which carries Interstates 71 and 75 over the Ohio River, currently accommodates more than 160,000 vehicles per day, twice the capacity it was designed for when it opened in 1963. The bridge also carries nearly 43 million tons of goods by truck annually.
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Source: Office of Governor Mike DeWine
