Today, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced funding plans for the Brent Spence Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Project.
In addition, KYTC and ODOT submitted a 26-page funding report to the Federal Highway Administration.
According to the funding report, the $3.57 billion project will be almost entirely funded by tolls. The report states that $3.3 billion would be paid by by toll revenue.
“The Brent Spence Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Project is currently anticipated to be funded primarily through Project revenues (i.e., from tolling), with upfront project development costs and ongoing oversight costs funded through a combination of state funding, and federal-aid formula and discretionary funding,” the funding report states.
“This is a starting point in our joint effort with Ohio to determine how we can best finance and deliver long-awaited improvements to the Interstate 75 corridor through Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky,” KYTC Secretary Mike Hancock said. “This initial financial plan will be updated many times along the way.”
According to the finance plan, the project consists of three projects:
Kentucky Approach
The Kentucky approach consists of the reconstruction of the Kyles Lane and Dixie Highway interchanges and the construction of a collector-distributor system to access the Covington local connections. In addition to the interchange reconstruction, additional capacity is being constructed on the interstate mainline. Project limits begin at the southern terminus of the Dixie Highway Interchange and extends to the Brent Spence Bridge for a total of length of approximately 4.2 miles.
Ohio Approach
The Ohio approach consists of reconstruction of the I-71/I-75/US-50 interchange as well as capacity improvements on I-75 from the Ohio/Kentucky state line through the Western Hills Viaduct interchange. The Western Hills Viaduct interchange reconstruction is also part of the Ohio approach segment.
River Bridges
The river bridges segment consists of construction of a new Ohio River crossing and the major rehabilitation to the existing Brent Spence Bridge. The new Ohio River Bridge and the rehabilitated Brent Spence Bridge will provide additional capacity in the corridor. The new parallel structure immediately adjacent to the existing Brent Spence Bridge will be a double deck configuration and will carry I-75 southbound (SB) and I-71 SB on the upper deck. The lower deck will carry I-75 northbound (NB) and local traffic SB via a CD segment. The existing Brent Spence Bridge will be rehabilitated and reconfigured to carry I-71 NB traffic on the upper deck and local traffic NB via a CD segment on the lower deck.
