Brent Spence Bridge Corridor November 25, 2024 eNewsletter

The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project has reached the 30% project design milestone, which enabled the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to evaluate the design’s major features and refine its scope and schedule. The goal is for the design to be 60 percent complete by next summer with construction starting in a limited capacity next year and in earnest in 2026.

Reaching the 30-percent design stage has also enabled the permit application process to begin, with some robust permits as long as 1,200 pages. Review and approval of the applications will require the project team to coordinate with local, state and federal agencies, including municipalities and utilities.

Meanwhile, the first round of investigations to identify the locations of utilities in and near the project pathway are either complete or nearing completion. The purpose of these investigations is to prevent damage to utility infrastructure during construction and any resulting service interruptions.

These are the latest milestone achievements in an eventful year for the project.

In May, the project received environmental approval when the Federal Highway Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact or FONSI in connection with its Supplemental Environmental Assessment.



Later in the month, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced seven major innovations to the project design based on engineering evaluations and public comment. The innovations include improving connections between downtown Cincinnati to Queensgate and reducing impacts to Goebel Park in Covington, Ky.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 'SIGNIFICANT'

Take it from Tommie Lewis. He has been in human resource management for more than 25 years. When he says the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project represents “significant” employment opportunities, you know the demand for workers will be high.

“At any given time, when construction starts, there may be up to 1,000 boots on the ground,” said Lewis, president and CEO of Make It Plain Consulting, the diversity and inclusion outreach consultant for Walsh Kokosing, the prime contractor for the project. “Those are employees. Those are people. People who are making a living, adding value to the project and making money for their families and communities.”

Hear Lewis talk about how Make It Plain Consulting is engaging small businesses and disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) companies in Ohio and Kentucky here. 

To learn about contract opportunities with Walsh Kokosing and the Brent Spence Project, visit the Walsh Kokosing website or email WalshKokosingBrentSpence@walshgroup.com.

To learn more about becoming DBE certified in Ohio, visit the ODOT website.

For help with the certification process, contact Toni Perry Gillispie via email at Latonia.PerryGillispie@dot.ohio.gov or call (513) 933-6656.

To learn more about becoming DBE certified in Kentucky, visit the KYTC website.

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR APPRENTICESHIP READINESS PROGRAM OPENS DEC. 2

The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio (ULGSO) is accepting applications beginning Dec. 2 for a program designed to fill the pipeline of skilled tradespeople for major regional projects such as the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.

Building Futures is a 12-week apprenticeship readiness program with a goal of helping participants obtain living-wage jobs in the region’s building and construction trades.



The first three weeks of the program are conducted by the ULGSO and focus on “soft skills,” such as financial literacy and interviewing techniques, according to Dusty Bryant, program manager. 

The nine weeks following, meanwhile, focus on a curriculum developed by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and is taught by instructors representing the Cincinnati Building and Construction Trades, including the Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local 265, in Cincinnati.

“This program aims to increase the representation of women, underserved communities and returning citizens in the building and construction trades unions,” Bryant said. “It’s modeled after the successful program developed by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and the Columbus Building Trades.”

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be at least 18 years old and possess a high school diploma or GED and a driver’s license or temporary permit. In addition, they must pass a drug screen and a background check as well as math and reading comprehension assessments.

“Most important, you need to have an authentic desire to begin a transformative career in the building and construction trades unions,” Bryant said. 

The next training session begins Jan. 21. Graduation is scheduled for April 28.

In addition to the Ohio Department of Transportation, program sponsors include the Cincinnati Building and Construction Trades Council, Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners, City of Cincinnati, AFL-CIO, TradesFutures, NABTU and the National Urban League.

To learn more, visit the ULGSO website or email buildingfutures@ulgso.org. 

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FOLLOW US ON LINKEDIN

The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project has launched a LinkedIn page to connect with the community, share insights and serve as a resource for career opportunities and contractor bids for this transformative infrastructure project. 



We invite you to follow this new LinkedIn page today and join the conversation. Find us on LinkedIn by searching "Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project."

WALSH KOKOSING CONTINUES OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR BSBC WORK OPPORTUNITIES

The Walsh Kokosing Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach (DIO) team recently hosted two informational sessions in coordination with the Dayton Chamber of Commerce to educate area businesses on opportunities to work on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) Project.



Each of the informational sessions featured one project-related scope of work. The first covered the relocation of protected mussels in the Ohio River to make way for the construction of piers for a new bridge, which will be constructed to the immediate west of the Brent Spence Bridge. 

The second informational session covered a 3D modeling and 4D scheduling support contract for the first phase of preconstruction. This scope includes assisting with the consolidation and coordination of reference information models being prepared by the design team, assisting with the use of 3D model files to develop work plans, and generating 4D animations for use throughout the project. 

The Walsh Kokosing DIO team’s outreach efforts will continue in December at a professional services event in Lexington, Kentucky, on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Numerous opportunities to work on the BSBC are now open to bid. To learn more about these opportunities, visit the Walsh Kokosing BSBC website. New opportunities will be posted there as they become available. 

Stretching from the Western Hills Viaduct in Ohio to Dixie Highway in Kentucky, the estimated $3.6 billion project will be built without tolls and transform an eight-mile portion of the I-71/75 interstate corridor, including a companion bridge immediately to the west of the existing bridge. More information about the project is available at BrentSpenceBridgeCorridor.com.