Fort Wright considers potential aesthetic changes to Kyles Lane overpass

Fort Wright is considering what to do about potential changes to the design of the overpass slated to go over Kyles Lane as part of the Brent Spence Corridor Project.

Discussions on new design alternatives the project had submitted to the city took place at a special meeting Wednesday night. The discussions piggy-backed off of discussions and presentations the city undertook in November, where the project pitched a plan to incorporate roundabouts on both the Fort Wright and Fort Mitchell overpasses.

While the roundabouts were mentioned on Wednesday, they were not the focus of the discussion. Instead, the city council, mayor and city staff members discussed proposed changes to the aesthetic design of the overpass. Representatives from the Brent Spence Project did not attend the meeting, but the council hoped to begin summarizing their preferences on the design alternatives so they could submit them to the project early next year.

The project pitched its original design ideas last summer. The project has final say over the design, but they’re incorporating feedback from cities to inform their choices. It will be responsible for building the overpass, but once complete, the city will maintain it.

This became a central question on Wednesday.

“From a long-term maintenance standpoint, I think, perhaps makes [the new design] better and less expensive for us, because that was one of my original concerns, even though [the original designs] looked awesome,” said Mayor Dave Hatter. “You know, there was a lot of potential maintenance that was going to come with this. We are going to be responsible for the maintenance of this when it’s done. So, I think in some ways it’s better from that perspective, but the overall look and feel, in my opinion, is nowhere near as good as the original design.”

There were some key differences from the designs shown last year. 2023’s designs featured taller and thinner support columns than the new recommendations. The sign affixed to the new design is smaller, only containing the words ‘Fort Wright’ rather than ‘City of Fort Wright,’ like the original design. The new design’s columns are shorter and stubbier, and the support beams are less elaborate. There are also various other changes to colors, lighting and other features.

“I can see that this is a less expensive version,” said City Councilmember Bernie Wessels.

The council discussed what their preferences were. Some liked the new columns as it seemed they would be easier to maintain than the taller columns of the original design.

There was disagreement about the color of the new building materials: Hatter and others liked the fortress-like aesthetic of the original design as it seemed to play into the city’s identity more. Most also preferred the overpass sign simply saying ‘Fort Wright’ instead of ‘City of Fort Wright,’ although Hatter expressed revulsion at the new sign proposal’s use of Times New Roman font.

There was also discussion about the fencing atop the overpass. Several council members believed it needed to be made out of aluminum to prevent corrosion. There was also broad agreement that the safety fencing cordoning off the expressway should be a decorative white color.

The second design recommendation featured the city’s shield emblem around the overpass at various points. By the end of the discussion, the council had begun considering potentially contracting out sign design to a third party.

As it related to the lighting, City Administrator Jill Cain Bailey recommended: “something that’s consistent with the light fixtures that are out in our community already, that we use in front of City Hall, so there’s that… feel of public space and a sense of cohesiveness.”

No final decisions were made at the meeting. The council will continue its deliberations next month and hopes to submit a list of preferences and recommendations to the corridor project early next year.

Kathleen Bryant also contributed reporting to this story.