The target date for reopening the Brent Spence Bridge is Dec. 23, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
“Based on our inspections and based on testing, the crash and fire early last Wednesday did not compromise the integrity of the bridge,” Beshear said during a press briefing. “The bridge, as a structure, is still safe, and sound, and sturdy.”
Inspection and lab analysis supported that claim, said Beshear, and he assured safety will be the guiding principle behind the project.
“We had a sturdy bridge before the crash on Wednesday and we will have one again once the repair work is done,” Beshear said.
“The public will be able to drive on that bridge again with full confidence.”
GOOD NEWS! Today, Gov. Beshear and KYTC Sec. Gray shared that in-depth inspections show the structural integrity of the Brent Spence Bridge is sound and was not compromised by the crash and fire on 11/11. #BSBUpdates pic.twitter.com/WxWgVN85Bg
— KYTC District 6 (@KYTCDistrict6) November 16, 2020
Only problem is, we’re not sure the public had full confidence in the Brent Spence before the crash.
The bridge — built in 1963 — has been listed as “functionally obsolete” for years (basically meaning it’s carrying more traffic than it’s designed to). And in 2019 (and 2018, and 2017), we gave the bridge a Best Of Cincinnati staff pick for the “best reason to get right with the lord before entering Kentucky.”
We all know by now that the Brent Spence Bridge needs a replacement. The span linking I-71 and I-75 between the Buckeye and Bluegrass states wasn’t designed to carry nearly as many cars as it does, and it’s 55 years old. Engineers say it’s structurally sound and isn’t about to fall into the river or anything, but that doesn’t necessarily comfort us when we’re sitting stationary in our cars with traffic snarled up on the bridge’s narrow lanes. Other snarl-ups of a political nature have hamstrung work on a new bridge, which will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.6 billion.
Real repair estimates for the current damage, from the company contracted by Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray, are $3,127,528.
That bid was produced by Kokosing Construction Co., from Westerville, Ohio. The U.S. Department of Transportation has also approved use of $12 million in emergency relief reimbursement.
Costs of the repair will cover “replacement of a section of the upper concrete deck, plus steel beams known as stringers that support the deck weight. A section of the lower deck will be milled out and filled with new concrete but does not require complete replacement,” says the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “Also to be replaced is a lengthy stretch of concrete bridge railing. Beyond those items will be electrical and drainage work and some cosmetic fixes such as restriping the pavement markings.”
The cabinet also provided renderings of the proposed repairs.
Keep up to date with the latest bridge updates at the dedicated website at transportation.ky.gov.
This article appears in The Gift Guide.