COVINGTON, Ky. — Covington Mayor Ron Washington announced Thursday the city will receive $750,000 to use over the next five years to bolster local businesses during two major bridge construction projects.
Work on both the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project and the 4th Street Bridge replacement project is scheduled to begin in 2026.
"We've been trying to be proactive, working with our businesses. We understand there's going to be disruptions," Washington said. "The way we see it is, we have to let the community know that Covington is open for business because we are."
The money comes from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and will help fund the city's Bridging the Gap initiative. Washington said much of the money will go toward a marketing campaign.
WATCH: Here's how Covington plans to help businesses through major bridge construction
The initiative aims to keep people both informed and engaged throughout the years-long projects.
"This marketing campaign will tell you how to get to Covington, and it will also talk about what's happening here in Covington," he said. "So it's a fight for not only small business, but it's also a fight for the bartender, the server, the people that are working in that industry."
People will start to see traffic impacts in the second to third week of January, Washington said, as the 4th Street Bridge closes ahead of a spring 2026 demolition.
"It puts us on an island. It puts Covington on an island," said Richard Dickmann, owner of Covington's Smoke Justis. "I have to assume that most people are going to think, 'I don't want to get into that traffic or that orange barrel situation.'"
Dickmann said he worries because around 80% of his business comes from outside of Covington. He is currently piecing together a business plan to mitigate anticipated losses the best he can.
"We are going to ramp up a delivery service, and we are also going to create a much more carry-out, friendly menu that will help kind of cut some of the pain," he said. "The overall concept of 'How are we going to get people to our business?' has a lot to do with 'How are we going to get people to Covington?'"
It's unclear to what extent both projects will impact businesses, but Washington said there will inevitably be some hurt.
"We're not foolish about this. This is going to hurt a little bit, it is," said Washington. "We're fighting, and we'll continue to fight, along with the state of Kentucky, to make sure people know that Covington is a safe place to come and spend your hard-earned money."
