By Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear joined state, local, and federal officials Friday, May 8, 2026, to celebrate the official launch of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the nation. 
“Today, after decades of planning and preparation, we are finally breaking ground on a solution to the traffic headaches and interstate commerce delays caused by the overcrowded Brent Spence Bridge,” said Governor DeWine.
“This new companion bridge will make our roads safer and our economy stronger, while demonstrating what’s possible when states and the federal government work together to solve our biggest challenges.”
This phase of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project will build a new state-of-the-art cable-stayed companion bridge to the existing Brent Spence Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky, and is considered among the worst trucking bottlenecks in the United States. In addition to new approaches to the companion bridge, all connections to the existing bridge will be overhauled in each state. This includes more than 30 overpasses and underpasses in Ohio and a dozen in Kentucky.
“Today, we took a major step forward for Kentucky, Ohio, and America as we broke ground on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project,” said Governor Beshear.
“This historic project will deliver safer travel for our families, create good-paying construction jobs, boost national commerce, and ease congestion for commuters. From securing federal and state funding to ensuring project plans are moving forward, my administration has worked hard to deliver on this promise. When we work together, great things can happen for the American people – something Kentucky and Ohio are proving daily.”
More than $1 billion in freight passes through the I-71/I-75 corridor daily. The existing Brent Spence Bridge, which has served the region since 1963, currently carries significantly more traffic than it was designed to handle.
In 1985, to address rapidly growing traffic demand, the bridge was reconfigured to add a fourth lane in each direction by removing emergency shoulders and narrowing lanes, resulting in impacts to driver safety and significant congestion caused by vehicle breakdowns or traffic crashes.
“The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project represents one of the most significant transportation improvements in the country,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn.
“This critical economic artery for our states and nation will fix the paralysis that grips the region when accidents occur, stop the severe overcrowding, and save lives.”
In addition to the construction of the companion bridge, this $4.05 billion phase of the project includes improvements to the existing Brent Spence Bridge for local traffic such as the restoration of the emergency shoulders, redesigned ramp configurations, and new pedestrian and bike paths to strengthen community connectivity.
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