Optimism about a funding formula for a new Brent Spence bridge may be reaching its highest point ever.For the first time, there are indications a replacement bridge could be funded without controversial tolls, an issue that has stalled the major infrastructure project in the past.Seven years ago, when the idea was to start construction in 2015 and have a new bridge open by 2020, no one was saying it could happen without tolls. Now in the summer of 2021, the political environment on tolls seems to be shifting.You won't find the words Brent Spence in the infrastructure bill Congress is considering. But reading between the lines, it has a presence every bit as real as the aggravating congestion that is its principle daily feature.Sens. Rob Portman, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, have crafted the language in a way that makes a case for more federal funding than many considered possible.Brent Cooper of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce ran down the list."Amount of vehicles, environmental impact, you go down the economic impact to the country,” Cooper said. “All of that is a consideration in this bill, which means the way I read it we could get up to 80% or more for our Brent Spence bridge."It would seem this region would enjoy a competitive advantage for the federal grants that could lead to 80% funding."I spent yesterday talking with House leadership, Senate leadership and the governor's office about exactly that," Cooper said in an interview Thursday. "About could we do it without tolling being involved or can we do it at all? Can we get the willpower to get this project done? And I, what I heard was yes, that there is the will to get it done."This raises this question about Kentucky's portion, whatever it would turn out to be.Notwithstanding that tolling could still be in the picture ultimately, there has been talk of utilizing other funding sources on an annual basis for a fixed amount of time provided the federal government would cover 80% to 90% of the costs."Is it possible it might not involve tolling? Yeah, I think it is possible," Cooper answered to his own question. "But it's still going to require a big, loud voice from all of us saying we need this."This is why the Northern Kentucky Chamber is hyper-active right now urging Senate and House members to pass the bill and watch the bridge with its Olympic-sized history of hurdles go for the gold.

Business and political leaders are expressing cautious optimism tonight about a new Brent Spence Bridge.We're told there is more recognition than ever about the damaging effects of gridlock and the pivotal moment that's upon us.President Biden will be in Cincinnati next Wednesday for a town hall on infrastructure. He might want to speak with Gene Kirchner, who just met with an IT business in Northern Kentucky."They had lost over a million dollars in productivity in the last year because of gridlock, because of the bridge," Kirchner said.That's just one company. Amazon is under construction until next year.Along with DHL, its future in the area means this region's global logistics hub is about to really start humming.The Northern Kentucky-Southwestern Ohio economic eco-system thrives on the notion that you can live on one side of the river and work on the other."Well, there are people who are choosing not to do that now because they don't want to deal with the gridlock," warned Kirchner.Northern Kentucky still doesn't want to deal with tolls to pay for a new bridge. When asked about funding last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters, "All of those issues are decided in the state capital."When we asked Kentucky's Junior Senator Rand Paul in Erlanger Friday, he responded, "I try not to dictate whether we have tolls or not tolls. I tell people I'm agnostic, the community needs to decide that."But privately, elected officials have told business leaders if there's no local match there's no new bridge."I drive to Chicago today, it's $10 in tolls," explained Brent Cooper, head of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. "If you've got an Illinois plate and we're not at least charging you $10 when you drive through our area, I think we're crazy. We should at least return the favor and charge them what they're billing us."The Chamber says it's not advocating for or against tolls. It just wants a solution before mid-term campaigning puts bipartisanship on the back burner.What's being drawn up as part of the infrastructure bill is a prioritizing of bridges, not by name but by age, traffic count, condition, gridlock and the spanning of two states.Any read between any lines screams Brent Spence. Leaders believe the stars have never been more aligned, but there's no deal yet and no funding solution worked out.

The Brent Spence Bridge is expected to be targeted in President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan, but despite the proposed tax increases, the possibility of tolls still hasn’t been ruled out.“If there’s a list of bridges that need repair in this country and the Brent Spence isn’t on it, it’s a bad list. It’s an awful list,” said Ohio, Kentucky Indiana Council of Governments CEO Mark Policinski.Policinski said this plan has a better chance of passing than the last seven infrastructure plans that have gone to Congress.“I think what has happened is politics have met reality, which doesn’t often happen, but in this case, I think it did,” Policinski said.The plan would put about $621 billion into transportation.Even though the Brent Spence Bridge is likely to get attention in the plan, there are no specific details about how much.“We don’t know if the feds are going to be in at 100 percent or if they’re going to be in at 80% or 50%,” Policinski said.Without knowing that, there’s no way to rule out tolls.Biden has said certain taxes would be raised to pay for the plan.So, the possibility remains that taxes would be raised and a toll would still be placed on the bridge.“Well, that’s the nightmare, but the whole point is that we have to wait and see what happens,” Policinski said.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he is already skeptical about whether he’ll vote for the plan.“If it’s going to have massive tax increases and trillions added to the national debt, not likely,” McConnell said.