COVINGTON, Ky. — Construction on the Brent Spence Companion Bridge is finally set to begin this spring, officials announced Monday.
The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the Ohio Controlling Board approved authority to finalize construction plans and start work on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project in the spring.
"This was the final legislative approval," Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary, said. "Which allows us to proceed on with groundbreaking and putting shovels in the ground."
Bruning said officials on both sides of the river are still working out a date for the ceremonial groundbreaking, but heavy construction could begin before then.
WATCH: Transportation officials say companion bridge construction could begin in just weeks. Here's what we know
"We won't hold up work until we can get all the officials there to do a ceremonial groundbreaking. It just depends on when that happens and when that would align with the schedule of the construction folks," he said.
The project, now years in the making, is intended to ease congestion long-term, addressing what officials say is "one of the most severe traffic bottlenecks in the country."
The plan, according to officials, is to "transform" I-71/I-75 in Kentucky and I-75 in Ohio.
Officials said this portion of the project will include building the companion bridge and improving about one mile of the highway approaches on each side of the river.
"There's kind of two different components here," Bruning said. "Building the bridge itself won't (cause) major impacts to traffic. Tying it into the highway, that's where you'll start seeing the bigger impacts to traffic."
Further portions of the project, like additional highway improvements, are still being planned, and a traffic plan has been created for the construction period.
"We're looking to, how can we make sure people can still get to where they need to go while all this major construction is happening," Naitore Djigbenou, executive director of the KYTC Office of Public Affairs, said. "As we get closer to that construction, we'll be sharing more details to help people get around and to think ahead. That'll be just a key thing to start even thinking about now."
Ohio traffic plan
- Two entrances and two exits will remain open into and out of Cincinnati in both directions
- Ramps and bridges connecting to the Brent Spence Bridge will be reconstructed, with temporary connections installed
- Early summer: ramps from eastbound U.S. 50, southbound I-75 and northbound I-71 to 2nd Street will be closed and relocated to a temporary ramp to Third Street
- Late summer: the ramp from eastbound U.S. 50 to southbound I-75 will be closed and reopened on a temporary alignment
- Work will take place on ramps and bridges along I-75 from Second Street to Ninth Street, including connections to Gest Street and Central Avenue
- Preparation work has started on the demolition and subsequent reconstruction of a 200-foot portion of Longworth Hall to accommodate the new bridge, plus comprehensive upgrades to the remaining original portion of Longworth Hall
Kentucky traffic plan
- There will be one entrance ramp, both northbound and southbound, into and out of Covington as construction work begins
- Impacts to various Covington ramps to develop the approach to the new companion bridge
- Sewer line and water line reconstruction work on 3rd Street in Covington this spring
- The project will separate stormwater from the combined sewer system
- Tree clearing operations this spring in the project area, including the Riverfront Commons Trail
- Full closure of the Riverfront Commons Trail this summer
Construction on this portion of the project comes with a price tag of $4.05 billion. Bruning said that figure includes work on the companion bridge, two approaches and a re-striping of the existing Brent Spence Bridge. The figure does not include work to fully rehab the existing bridge, which will come at a later date.
The cost is up from the previous estimate of around $3.6 billion, Bruning said, due to inflationary pressures.
"When you look nationally at construction cost—this is materials, labor, all of that—we've seen about a 61% increase from 2020 to 2025. That's a big increase," he said. "I think all of us understand that we've seen increases in prices at the grocery store, at the gas pump, literally every facet of our lives and construction and building bridges and highways is not immune from that."
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called the announcement a "major milestone."
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"The work is set to begin on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, which will deliver safer travel for our families, create good-paying construction jobs, boost national commerce and ease congestion for those commuting between Ohio and Kentucky," Beshear said. "My administration has worked hard to deliver on this promise, and now we are months away from beginning the meaningful work that will get this job done.
Officials said some work has been underway already to prepare for the construction.
"What folks are beginning to even now notice is a lot more tree clearing operations as we get ready for construction," Djigbenou said. "There's also upcoming sewer and water line work that folks will be getting to see more activity around."
