CINCINNATI — Officials ceremoniously broke ground on the Brent Spence Bridge corridor project on Friday.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, along with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Senator Mitch McConnell and multiple other officials, traveled to Cincinnati to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Mehring Way Friday afternoon.
"We're showing that when it comes to the things that matter most to the American people, the solutions aren't partisan, they're not even bipartisan, they're nonpartisan," Beshear said.
The event marks the official start of construction on a main portion of the project, which will create a companion bridge next to the functionally obsolete Brent Spence Bridge.
WATCH: After decades of efforts, leaders break ground on Brent Spence companion bridge
"This is a day we've been waiting for, right?" DeWine said. "This is a great day for Ohio, a great day for Kentucky and a great day for this country."
It's the first time there's been an exact date tied to the start of construction on this project; previously, Ohio Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials said they expected work to begin in the spring of 2026.
During the press conference, both Beshear and McConnell pointed out the new companion bridge would be built without a plan to implement any tolls — a point of contention in past years during discussions on how to fix the corridor's issues.
"Infrastructure is vitally important to the success of the state of Ohio. This is the one big hole we have. This is the one area where there's a massive bottleneck," DeWine said. "This had to be fixed, that had to be dealt with, but it's also vitally important for the country."
The $4.05 billion project is expected to take crews until approximately 2031 to complete. That figure includes work on a double-decker companion bridge, two approaches and a re-striping of the existing Brent Spence Bridge. The cost does not include work to fully rehab the existing bridge, which will come at a later date.
Watch the full ceremony ahead of the groundbreaking in the video below:
Funding comes from local and state taxes as well as the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"Not only did it get this bridge built without tolls, I might add," Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell said. "It provided enormous transportation relief for the Kentucky legislature."
ODOT has recently been wrapping up preliminary work, which includes checking underground utilities, conducting borings and parts of the ongoing Linn Street Bridge reconstruction project.
On the Kentucky side, a half-mile stretch of Covington's Riverwalk will soon close until 2031 to allow crews to move materials into the area for construction. The closing date was slated for May 1, but a KYTC spokesperson said it may be pushed back.
WATCH: How the roughly $4 billion project could impact our region
Numerous long-term closures are starting on May 20, affecting entrance and exit ramps onto I-71/75 for north and southbound traffic.
The long-term closures will begin at 7 a.m. on May 20. Information about the closures and their detours is below:
- I-71/75 southbound on-ramp from Bullock Avenue/MLK Jr. Boulevard and Bullock Avenue from Pike Street to MLK Jr. Boulevard. Simon Kenton Way will be reconfigured to two-way traffic starting May 20.
Detour: Pike Street/Dixie Highway to Kyles Lane, to I-71/75 southbound.
Expected reopening: The southbound on-ramp and Bullock Avenue are expected to reopen late Oct. 2026. - The I-71/75 northbound (Exit 191) ramp to 12th Street/MLK Jr. Boulevard/Pike Street will close for ramp construction on May 20.
Detour: I-71/75 northbound 5th Street exit ramp, turn left on Philadelphia Street, then left on Fourth Street west to the I-71/75 southbound ramp to Pike Street, then right on Simon Kenton Way, then left onto MLK Jr. Boulevard.
Expected reopening: The northbound exit off-ramp is expected to reopen in the summer of 2027. - I-71/75 southbound ramp to West 5th Street will close either on or after May 26. The portion of exit 192 onto West 5th Street will close permanently so a new ramp can be constructed later during the project. West 5th Street itself will be closed from Crescent Avenue to the I-71/75 northbound exit off-ramp on 5th Street.
Detour: Getting off the exit, you’ll turn right onto Crescent Avenue and utilize West 3rd Street in Covington.
For information on other long-term closures underway, you can look at the official Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project page here.
