Another important approval has come through for the future Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project, bringing Ohio and Kentucky’s vision for a cable-stayed, bi-level, independent-deck span connecting Cincinnati to Covington closer to reality.
The Ohio Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced that the Ohio Controlling Board authorized the companion bridge’s final construction plans and work will begin this spring.
The total price tag on the project has grown from $3.6 billion in mid-2025 to now $4.4 billion, to be paid 50/50 by both Ohio and Kentucky. Construction alone has been priced at $4.05 billion.
In 2026, officials expect to begin work on approaches for the new bridge, including the use of barges and cranes to build foundations and pylons. Crews will continue to relocate overhead and underground utilities.
Walsh Kokosing — a joint venture of Walsh Group, Kokosing and AECOM — is the prime contractor for the entire Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project. The group will construct the companion bridge west of the existing 60-year-old span, which is carrying double its original traffic capacity of 80,000 vehicles a day.
The Brent Spence Bridge, which opened in 1963, is a double-decked, truss bridge carrying Interstates 71 and 75 just over 0.3 miles across the Ohio River in both directions. The bridge will be updated to three lanes on each deck with emergency shoulders. Other projects part of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor, which covers eight miles of I-71/I-75, include improvements to the existing bridge, redesigning ramp configurations and new pedestrian and bike paths.
Both the companion bridges' upper and lower decks will be supported by a cabling system similar to those used on the Abraham Lincoln Bridge in Louisville and Veterans Glass City Skyway in Toledo. No steel work will be used to connect the two decks.
Northbound drivers will use the upper deck to cross the Ohio River into Cincinnati, which will showcase the city's skyline and the bridge’s unique design.
The new companion bridge is expected to open in 2031, followed by the approach work in 2033.
