President Joe Biden joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine spoke in Covington today. Scroll on to catch what we saw during the speeches.
The Brent Spence Bridge has been a thorn in the side of multiple presidential administrations. With Congress’ passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Brent Spence Corridor Project will receive $1.6 billion in federal grant money.
While in the midst of a nationwide tour touting his administration’s economic accomplishments, Biden will be touching down in Northern Kentucky on Jan. 4. The president is holding a press conference in an unnamed location in Covington, where he is expected to comment on the role his admiration played in securing federal funding for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project and the progress of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Biden will be joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
“The President will deliver remarks on how his economic plan is rebuilding our infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, and revitalizing communities left behind,” White House said in a press release.
The stop in NKY is one of many in a nationwide effort by the Biden administration to engage with the public about the administration’s work to pass the 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
According to outlines of the project, the original Brent Spence Bridge will be revitalized and reoriented to specifically local traffic, while a brand new companion bridge will be constructed for regional and national traffic.
In total, the project is forecasted to cost between $3.3 and $3.8 billion. Groundbreaking on construction is slated to begin in 2023, with the project’s expected completion in 2029.
Representatives from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) jointly applied for funding and have outlined terms to move the project to construction.
“I’m thrilled the time has finally come for us to get the companion bridge built,” Beshear said on Dec. 26. “Funding and constructing the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project is more than the fulfillment of my administration’s promise – it’s a dream fulfilled for the thousands of travelers who pass through the bustling region every day waiting eagerly for traffic relief to come on this nationally significant corridor.
As one of the foremost pieces of infrastructure in the midwest, the Brent Spence Bridge carries approximately 3% of the United States GDP each year. Constructed in 1963, the bridge was initially projected to carry 80,000 vehicles every day. Last year, the bridge carried approximately double that amount.
In the 21st century, the situation surrounding the deterioration of the bridge is publicly seen as a regional quagmire. In November 2020, the bridge was shut down for six weeks when two semitrucks collided causing a chemical spill. The shutdown caused disruption for commuters across the Greater Cincinnati region.
