With the stroke of a pen, President Joe Biden ignited a flurry of interest in design plans that show what an improved Brent Spence Bridge corridor might look like."Being there and being a part of it, it was just incredible, history in the making," Jill Meyer said.Meyer is president of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. She was in Washington for Monday's infrastructure bill signing ceremony.Now that it's law, Ohio and Kentucky will get billions of dollars for a host of projects. The betting money is that a chunk of that cash will help pay for a new Brent Spence companion bridge."This is a real opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime generational opportunity for us to finally get some funding for projects like this," said Brent Cooper, president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.On both sides of the Ohio River, there's a real sense that a better Brent Spence Bridge is close at hand, even if it does take several years to build.One set of design concepts created several years ago show what the current bridge and a companion span might look like.The plans show one side of a companion bridge carrying all traffic on Interstate 75 southbound and southbound Interstate 71 as well as local drivers. The other side shows the existing Brent Spence, with local cars on the lower deck and drivers heading on 71 northbound on the upper deck.Meyer and other bridge advocates point out the designs were unveiled seven years ago. And things could change when engineers find out how much money the bridge project will receive.Even with those new unknowns, the old design concepts illustrate how much attention the functionally obsolete Brent Spence Bridge has received over the years."The hold back has been when can we start?" Meyer said. "This influx of money at this time is critically important and at the right time."Mark Policinski, CEO of the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana Regional Council of Governments said a companion bridge, if approved, would be built next to the Brent Spence, on the western side of the bridge.One reason for that is the western side has the same environmental footprint as the existing bridge, which means construction could possibly start in 2023.
With the stroke of a pen, President Joe Biden ignited a flurry of interest in design plans that show what an improved Brent Spence Bridge corridor might look like.
"Being there and being a part of it, it was just incredible, history in the making," Jill Meyer said.
Meyer is president of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. She was in Washington for Monday's infrastructure bill signing ceremony.
Now that it's law, Ohio and Kentucky will get billions of dollars for a host of projects. The betting money is that a chunk of that cash will help pay for a new Brent Spence companion bridge.
"This is a real opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime generational opportunity for us to finally get some funding for projects like this," said Brent Cooper, president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
On both sides of the Ohio River, there's a real sense that a better Brent Spence Bridge is close at hand, even if it does take several years to build.
One set of design concepts created several years ago show what the current bridge and a companion span might look like.
The plans show one side of a companion bridge carrying all traffic on Interstate 75 southbound and southbound Interstate 71 as well as local drivers. The other side shows the existing Brent Spence, with local cars on the lower deck and drivers heading on 71 northbound on the upper deck.
Meyer and other bridge advocates point out the designs were unveiled seven years ago. And things could change when engineers find out how much money the bridge project will receive.
Even with those new unknowns, the old design concepts illustrate how much attention the functionally obsolete Brent Spence Bridge has received over the years.
"The hold back has been when can we start?" Meyer said. "This influx of money at this time is critically important and at the right time."
Mark Policinski, CEO of the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana Regional Council of Governments said a companion bridge, if approved, would be built next to the Brent Spence, on the western side of the bridge.
One reason for that is the western side has the same environmental footprint as the existing bridge, which means construction could possibly start in 2023.
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