I-71/I-75 Brent Spence Bridge Replacement

[seicer]

The existing 1963 Brent Spence Bridge will be rehabilitated when the new companion structure opens around 2029, and it is expected that the structure will serve traffic for another 30 to 50 years with just regular maintenance before another rehabilitation is needed.

[hbelkins]

I haven't looked at all the project specifics, but just how much "real" life does the current Brent Spence have left before it will need to be replaced altogether?  I thought I heard that there is only so much they can do before having to talk unavoidable replacement?

If that's the case, then one would think they would need to plan now for future ramps, ROW's and roadway tie-ins to the new sister bridge when the original bridge is replaced and/or closed.

It's a common misconception that the Brent Spence is in danger of collapsing into the Ohio River. Its issue is functional obsolescence, not structural deficiency. The bridge had pretty extensive work done when the truck fire occurred several months ago.

[seicer]

The plan for the older c. 1932 US 41 bridge in Henderson KY over the Ohio River will keep it in operation for over 130 years with just regular maintenance. It's not unfathomable that the state could get 150+ years out of it.

[Henry]

So I-75 is going to be Cincinnati's Carmageddon in the next several years. With the Mill Creek Expressway project also about to begin to the bridge's immediate north, expect a big mess on the other freeways as well as motorists will struggle to get around the two construction sites (about 20 miles' worth, IIRC, and that includes the stretch across the river in Covington).

[doglover44]

When the Brent Spence bridge is being replaced where the heck would the detour be ?

[Great Lakes Roads]

When the Brent Spence bridge is being replaced where the heck would the detour be ?

They are going to be building a new double-decker bridge west of the existing bridge for thru traffic. After the new bridge opens to traffic, the existing bridge will be massively rehabbed and restriped to carry local traffic.

[davewiecking]

This project received environmental approval from the FHWA, as this press release from Friday states...

https://brentspencebridgecorridor.com/ohio-and-kentucky-receive-federal-environmental-approval-for-brent-spence-bridge-corridor-project-clearing-path-forward/

[thenetwork]

When the Brent Spence bridge is being replaced where the heck would the detour be ?

For I-71 Thru Traffic and Downtown Traffic:

I-275 EAST to I-471 NORTH

For I-75 Thru Traffic:

I-275 Western bypass

[GCrites]

And the Brent Spence Bridge itself.

[vdeane]

And the Brent Spence Bridge itself.

Yeah, this.  They're twinning the bridge, not doing a planned version of the Key Bridge replacement.  I could see some short-term closures if they need to put in a new traffic pattern or for some incidental work that needs the old bridge closed, but by and large, I expect the old bridge to remain open during the project.

[Plutonic Panda]

Article revealing some details on the projects components: https://www.roadsbridges.com/bridge-construction/news/55055653/brent-spence-bridge-project-improves-project-plans

[Henry]

When the Brent Spence bridge is being replaced where the heck would the detour be ?

For I-71 Thru Traffic and Downtown Traffic:

I-275 EAST to I-471 NORTH

For I-75 Thru Traffic:

I-275 Western bypass

I assume traffic wishing to use I-74 would also follow the I-275 western bypass?

And as noted above, the Brent Spence Bridge will be supplemented by a new span, not replaced outright. This is similar to what you'd see on I-65 in Louisville.

[Bitmapped]

https://brentspencebridgecorridor.com/bridge-type-selection/

The new bridge is going to be a cable-stayed bridge with two decks. Each deck will be independent of the other, directly connected to its own cable stays for support.

[The Ghostbuster]

I would have preferred a single-deck bridge. Still, the new bridge will look a lot better than the existing bridge.

[KelleyCook]

https://brentspencebridgecorridor.com/bridge-type-selection/

The new bridge is going to be a cable-stayed bridge with two decks. Each deck will be independent of the other, directly connected to its own cable stays for support.

This is actually really cool.  Has it been done before?

[doglover44]

Haven't heard anymore news

[davewiecking]

Last project-design type news I read was related to them being asked by Cincinnati to try to reduce the foot print of the interchange of 71 and 75. The monthly newsletter touts that they just tore down the Automated Traffic Control building in the middle of that interchange, which was apparently a historic building. This stuff is now handled from Columbus.

[carbaugh2]

Here is the latest from ODOT on the progress being made. It's all administrative, but important nonetheless.

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/about-us/news/district-8/brent-spence-companion-bridge-moves-closer-to-construction

[CtrlAltDel]

Here is the latest from ODOT on the progress being made. It's all administrative, but important nonetheless.

https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/about-us/news/district-8/brent-spence-companion-bridge-moves-closer-to-construction

 

[Plutonic Panda]

This project has broken ground:

https://www.roadsbridges.com/bridge-construction/news/55376251/groundbreaking-marks-start-of-long-awaited-brent-spence-companion-bridge-project

[edwaleni]

Media reports.

[Plutonic Panda]

This is out of my neck in the woods so I'll have to check out the current project plans but I recall they're keeping the truss bridge which is awesome if so!

[Stephane Dumas]

I digged the Wayback Machine to explore some archives of older proposed plans for the Brent Spence bridge replacement. https://web.archive.org/web/20241213120910/https://cincinnati-transit.net/newbrentspence.html

[Plutonic Panda]

AASHTO press release:

https://aashtojournal.transportation.org/states-break-ground-on-brent-spence-bridge-project/

[Stephane Dumas]

Some food for a off-topic sidenote and a little bit fictional, I saw the plans of the future northern approaches https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2023-10-19/new-proposals-brent-spence-bridge-corridor-project and it show some slips ramps going from and to I-75 north to where Clay Wade Bailey bridge ends at 3rd street. US-25 ends in the middle of the Clay Wade Bailey bridge and they could extend US-25 to these slips ramps and ends at I-75.