The emergency repair of the Brent Spence Bridge following last year’s fiery crash that closed it for several weeks, is a finalist for another national award.
Governor Andy Beshear said last week that the emergency project was selected as one of the country’s top-twelve transportation projects to compete for a national transportation Grand Prize and People’s Choice award.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) revealed the finalists last week.
The Brent Spence Bridge project and eleven other state projects from across the United States now are competing for a national Grand Prize, with the winner selected by a panel of judges, and a People’s Choice Award, which is decided by the general public in online voting.
“The online voting gives every Kentuckian an opportunity to express pride in a project of critical importance that was completed under budget and ahead of schedule under exceptionally difficult circumstances,” Gov. Beshear said.
The public can vote daily, the governor said.
The Brent Spence Bridge carries Interstates 71 and 75 across the Ohio River between Covington and Cincinnati. It was abruptly closed early on Nov. 11, 2020, after two tractor-trailers collided and burned on the lower of the bridge’s two decks. Forty-one days later, on Dec. 22, 2020, the bridge was reopened.
“It’s an honor to have the Brent Spence Bridge repair project recognized for excellence in a prestigious, national competition,” Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. “It’s a great credit to our very innovative engineers and a host of partners, all of whom worked day and night to restore one of the most important river crossings in the eastern United States. We encourage all our fellow Kentuckians to go to the website and cast a vote every day.”
The 12 finalist projects emerged from four regional contests. Voting continues until 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 25. Participants can vote on any number of projects, once per day, at https://
-Staff report