COVINGTON, Ky. — The 4th Street Bridge connecting Covington and Newport has been closed since March, sending drivers on a detour they'll have to take for months.
Now, construction is entering its next phase as crews move from demolition to building the replacement bridge.
The main span of the old bridge was removed in March, but demolition work on the Newport side continued until just a few weeks ago. Project leaders say that work is now complete, allowing crews to focus entirely on new construction.
“We actually just finished up demolition here within the past couple of weeks,” said Cory Wilson, project manager with KYTC. “But we started on construction while we were finishing the demolition. But now we’re just completely focused on new construction.”
Watch as KJ gets a look at where construction efforts stand now:
Crews are currently drilling about 80 feet into the ground to install concrete and steel shafts that will serve as the foundation for the new bridge.
“We anticipate being done with the drilled shafts probably in October,” said Wilson. “Once we get those done, we’ll actually start building on top of them, and that’s when people will really start seeing things coming up out of the ground.”
The replacement will be a three-arch bridge carrying four lanes of traffic, along with 12-foot-wide, multi-use paths on both sides for pedestrians and cyclists. The project remains on schedule to reopen in the summer of 2028.
“Certainly this makes the actual construction move a lot faster to do it this way,” said Wilson. “We’re trying to balance the cost, schedule, traffic impacts and all of that.”
Officials say they will continue monitoring traffic signals and detour routes throughout construction as other major road projects continue to affect travel through Covington and Newport.
“This is a major undertaking,” said Wilson. “I really think that when we reopen this crossing and we have this nice new bridge in two years, that people really appreciate it.”
Let me know what's driving you crazy on area roads, and I'll work to get some answers and find a solution to your traffic troubles. Email me at KJ.Jacobs@wcpo.com or reach me on social media.
