A heavily trafficked bridge connecting Kentucky and Ohio that has been closed for more than a month will reopen on Tuesday afternoon.
Kentucky transportation officials have confirmed that the Brent Spence Bridge connecting Covington, Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio, will reopen late on the afternoon of December 22.
The bridge will reopen in phases and significant traffic delays are still expected, officials warn.
The both directions of the bridge have been closed for repairs following a November 11 hazmat crash involving two commercial vehicles that sparked a major fire. Both truck drivers survived and were not seriously hurt.
The 41 day bridge closure has resulted in considerable hassle for truckers as many drivers have struggled to find alternate routes.
On November 18, Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray issued a travel order for commercial trucks traveling north on Interstate 71/75 to stick to signed detours o try to relieve traffic congestion on local streets.
The Covington Police Department also had to temporarily close the Roebling Suspension Bridge to all traffic after numerous semi trucks were spotted on the bridge in spite of the weight limit
Kentucky transportation officials say that the Brent Spence Bridge typically carries 160,000 vehicles per day and that 15% of that traffic comes from commercial vehicles.