The Brent Spence Corridor Project has officially broken ground, marking the latest development in the roughly $4 billion interstate infrastructure project.
“[This project] belongs to the millions of commuters and their communities on both sides of the river,” said KYTC Secretary Rebecca Goodman on Friday, “to engineers and administrators, technicians and accountants, to public servants at KYTC and ODOT, to the consulting and the contracting teams… to more than 50 subcontractors who are all ready to start building.”
Friday’s groundbreaking took place at the Duke Energy West End Substation in Cincinnati was attended by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Sen. Mitch McConnell, former Sen. Rob Portman and numerous elected officials and bureaucrats from around Kentucky and Ohio.
From left to right: Rocky Adkins (advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear), Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Sen. Mitch McConnell. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (center in sunglasses). Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval (in glasses). Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Kentucky Sen. Matt Lehman (left), Covington Mayor Ron Washington (center left) and Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore (center right). Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine (left) shakes hands with Sen. Mitch McConnell. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky 
Ohio, Kentucky and federal officials after the groundbreaking on May 8, 2026. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
The project includes the construction of a new double-decker companion bridge, which is expected to be completed by 2031. The existing bridge will be re-stripped and will continue to serve traffic between Cincinnati and Covington. Regional interstate thru traffic on I-75/71 will use the new bridge. The $4 billion figure does not include the rehab work on the existing bridge.
“If you look at the rendering, it’s going to look nice,” said DeWine. “It’ going to be something you can be proud of.”
More than $1 billion worth of freight travels down the I-71/75 corridor each day, according to the project. The current bridge is old, built in the 1960s, and while it’s still functional, it’s not built to modern standards.
“The Brent Spence Bridge carries far more traffic than it was ever designed to handle,” said Beshear. “This project is, first and foremost, helping the people of Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati by resolving traffic delays and safety issues, but the importance of it stretches beyond this region and beyond our states’ borders. This I-75/I-71 corridor is among the most important stretches for commercial traffic anywhere east of the Mississippi River.”
The project also includes highway renovations on both sides of the Ohio. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Ohio Department of Transportation are working to carry out the project. The most recent projections put the completion time for the entire project in 2033.
Speakers at the event touted the bi-partisan nature of the project: Federal funding for the bridge came from the passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, which McConnell and Portman, both Republicans, voted for, and former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, ultimately signed into law. $1.6 billion in federal grant money has gone toward the project.
“This project, which is famous nationally as well as in Ohio and Kentucky, is going to be built without tolls and make a huge difference for both Ohio and Kentucky and the nation,” said McConnell.
Numerous long-term closures begin on May 20, affecting entrance and exit ramps to I-71/75 for northbound and southbound traffic. Travelers are encouraged to plan ahead.
The long-term closures will begin at 7 a.m. on May 20. Information about the closures and their detours is below:
- I-71/75 southbound on-ramp from Bullock Avenue/MLK Jr. Blvd and Bullock Avenue from Pike St. to MLK Jr. Blvd. Simon Kenton Way will be reconfigured to two-way traffic starting May 20.
- Detour: Pike St./Dixie Highway to Kyles Lane, to I-71/75 southbound.
- Expected reopening: The southbound on-ramp and Bullock avenue is expected to reopen late Oct. 2026.
- The I-71/75 northbound (Exit 191) ramp to 12th St./MLK Jr. Blvd./Pike St. will close for ramp construction on May 20.
- Detour: I-71/75 northbound 5th St. exit ramp, turn left on Philadelphia St., then left on Fourth Street west to the I-71/75 southbound ramp to Pike St., then right on Simon Kenton Way, then left on to MLK Jr. Blvd.
- Expected reopening: The northbound exit off-ramp is expected to reopen Summer 2027.
- I-71/75 southbound ramp to West 5th Street will close either on or after Tuesday, May 26. The portion of exit 192 onto West 5th Street will close permanently so a new ramp can be constructed later during the project. West 5th Street itself will be closed from Crescent Avenue to the I-71/75 northbound exit off-ramp on 5th Street.
- Detour: Getting off the exit you’ll turn right on to Crescent Avenue and utilize West 3rd Street in Covington.
Consult the maps below to get a visual representation of the closures and detours. Click the maps for larger images.
You can learn more about the project and stay up to date with road closures at brentspencebridgecorridor.com.
Kenton Hornbeck contributed reporting to this story.