Brent Spence Bridge Corridor April 28, 2023 eNewsletter
CONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND CREATING VIBRANT SPACES
New bike and pedestrian connections and aesthetic features can have transformative impact in urban neighborhoods.
The Brent Spence Bridge Project team is taking a holistic approach to this historic infrastructure investment with a specific focus on enhancing connections between neighborhoods and creating multi-modal spaces that work for everyone. This means investing in pedestrian walkways, bike lanes, and other shared-use spaces that make it easier and safer for people to get around. It's about enhancing safety, improving accessibility, and creating a more walkable and vibrant urban environment.
But it's not just about function - the project is also incorporating aesthetic features that add to the community's sense of place. Decorative treatments on bridges and walls, planters, lighting, and other design features will all be part of the project's vision for innovative improvements that represent communities throughout the corridor. 
 
The best part? Projects like these have been proven to make a real difference in communities. Studies have shown that multi-modal improvements not only enhance safety and accessibility, but also create economic benefits for local businesses and can boost property values in the surrounding area.
 
Visit the multi-modal exhibit posted on the project website to see examples, like how the shared use path in Goebel Park will be extended to connect to the existing path along the Ohio River. The legend on each slide shows where new sidewalks, new bike lanes, and new shared-use paths will go, including improvements on nine east-west roadways that intersect I-75 in Ohio. It also details new pedestrian bridges and where existing pavement will be converted into green space.
 
So, whether you're a driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project will benefit neighborhoods on both sides of the river. 
DESIGN-BUILD TEAM TO BE ANNOUNCED IN JUNE
The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project Team is scheduled to announce the design-build team in early June.
 
Proposals to become the prime contractor for the $3.6 billion project were due April 14. Interviews were scheduled for the last week in April. The announcement will mark the culmination of a nearly five-month procurement process that began with issuing a draft request for proposals in mid-January.
 
The first assignment for the winning bidder will be to confirm the feasibility of the project plan as outlined in the request for proposal. This is commonly referred to as a “proof of concept” phase. The next step will be to complete the design.
 
The project includes the construction of a companion bridge and improvements to the current bridge and the roadway network leading to both. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2030. 
RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION UPDATE
In road construction, "right-of-way" (ROW) often refers to property needed to advance a project. The ROW area must be enough to accommodate all elements of the roadway cross-section and any public utility facilities that might be installed along the roadway.
 
For a project as large as the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project (BSBC), the right-of-way acquisition process requires utmost planning and attention. Because the BSBC project area is urban, impacting both residential and commercial properties, the project team has taken great care to keep the community top-of-mind, working hard to minimize the project footprint and reduce property impacts while still delivering a solid solution to traffic congestion in our region.
 
In July 2022, based on significant community engagement and a thorough technical analysis, ODOT and KYTC introduced updated project maps with new lane configurations that significantly reduced the project footprint from its original 2012 design. The revised plan reduced the new bridge footprint to almost half the originally planned size – in turn, significantly reducing the number of impacted properties.
Where Are We Now?
 
Each state is separately conducting their ROW process according to their individual regulations. Ohio began the acquisition of Right-of-Way in 2014 and projects completion by the end of 2023. Of the 79 parcels to be acquired, 70 are complete. The remaining nine are all commercial and railroad properties located between the Ohio River and West Third Street in Cincinnati.
 
In Kentucky, the process began in early 2022. Of the 72 parcels to be acquired, 40 parcels are complete and 12 are now actively in the ROW process. The remaining 20 parcels are contingent upon the update of the project’s environmental document. You can learn more about that process here. 
Share Your Thoughts and Ideas
The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project team welcomes comments and feedback from the public. To submit a question or comment, visit the project website and click on the “Contact Us” button in the upper right-hand corner.
 
Responses to all public comments can be viewed on the Public Involvement and Comments section of the website. This section features project exhibits, summaries of outreach activities, and summaries of responses to questions posed to the project team during meetings or via email. The document with the summary of responses from all sources is updated monthly. 
Stay Connected
There are several ways to stay connected with the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.
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