The $3.6-billion Brent Spence Bridge project reached a major milestone this spring when the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the project cleared the environmental review process.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced in a joint press release that the states received federal environmental approval, which allows the project to advance to design and construction. The plan is to upgrade the existing, 61-year-old bridge, and build an additional bridge dedicated to interstate drivers to improve traffic along a critical freight route that runs from Canada to Florida.
“This is an important step forward in bringing efficiency to our nation’s supply chain,” Gov. DeWine said. “The project will address one of the worst truck bottlenecks in the nation by improving safety and travel on an interstate connection that carries more than $400 billion worth of freight every year. It’s also a big step in reducing the frustration and inconvenience drivers have experienced in the corridor for more than 20 years.”
“The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project is a testament to what can happen when we work together to get things done,” said Gov. Beshear. “The federal approval is a major milestone for us, and we’re grateful to all our partners and communities for their feedback. We look forward to completing this project, which will further boost our economic growth and create more good jobs for our families.”
FWHA based its “Finding of No Significant Impact,” on a supplemental environmental assessment conducted by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Governors DeWine and Beshear’s joint statement said that this assessment “evaluated the social, economic and environmental effects of the project as well as measures to mitigate unavoidable impacts.”
“The decision is also based on FHWA’s consideration of public and agency comments received during the public comment period,” the statement reads.
The double-decker, three-lane Brent Spence Bridge originally opened in November 1963 and was designed to carry 80,000 vehicles per day, but it carries twice that many due to the rapid growth of the Greater Cincinnati area over the past 60 years. A fourth lane of traffic was added on each deck in 1985 to alleviate the traffic issues, but this resulted in the elimination of full-width emergency lanes.
The American Transportation Research Institute currently ranks the bridge as one of the worst bottlenecks in the U.S.
According to a press release on the DOT’s website, the Brent Spence Bridge project has received $1.6 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“…This bridge carries over $1 billion in freight and over 160,000 drivers every day, and today we are proud to mark the completion of the environmental review for the new Brent Spence Bridge, enabling the project to move to construction in the coming months,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“This is a big step in supporting the President’s commitment to rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure,” added Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “This bridge is a vital connector of goods to thousands of people in Kentucky and Ohio, and the investment in the Brent Spence Bridge will ensure the surrounding communities, and communities across the entire country, benefit from these improvements for decades to come.”
GPRS Helps Keep Infrastructure Projects On Track
The ASCE cited the growing “backlog of rehabilitation needs” in the summary of their findings, adding that “Federal, state, and local governments will need to prioritize strategic investments dedicated to improving and preserving roadway conditions that increase public safety on the system we have in place, as well as plan for the roadways of the future, which will need to account for connected and autonomous vehicles.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $550 billion over fiscal years 2022-2026 in new federal investments in roads, bridges, and mass transit, as well as water infrastructure, resilience, and broadband. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act provides over $5 billion in funds available through September 2026 for here new FHWA programs: the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program; the Low-Carbon Transportation Materials Grants; and the Environmental Review Implementation Funds program.
Because of this federal investment, there’s an even greater emphasis placed on keeping these projects on time, on budget, and safe.
GPRS offers a comprehensive suite of subsurface damage prevention, existing conditions documentation, and construction & facilities project management services designed to help you achieve this goal.
We utilize state-of-the-art technology such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanners, electromagnetic (EM) locators, 3D laser scanners, and remote-controlled sewer pipe inspection rovers to ensure the integrity of your buried infrastructure and help you avoid subsurface damage when breaking ground. Our in-house Mapping & Modeling Team can visualize the field-verified, accurate data collected by our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers to suit your planning, and operations & maintenance (O&M) needs.
All this information is at you and your team’s fingertips 24/7, accessible via any computer, tablet or smartphone thanks to SiteMap® (patent pending), our project & facility management application that provides accurate existing conditions documentation to protect your assets and people.
From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® to keep you and your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
What can we help you visualize?
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of informational output is provided when GPRS conducts a utility locate?
Our Project Managers flag and paint our findings directly on the surface. This method of communication is the most accurate form of marking when excavation is expected to commence within a few days of service.
GPRS also uses a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings. We use this data to generate a plan, KMZ file, satellite overlay, or CAD file to permanently preserve results for future use. GPRS does not provide land surveying services. If you need land surveying services, please contact a professional land surveyor. Please contact us to discuss the pricing and marking options your project may require.
What types of concrete scanning does GPRS offer?
GPRS provides two specific but different scanning services: elevated concrete slab scanning and concrete slab-on-grade locating. Elevated concrete slab scanning involves detecting embedded electrical conduits, rebar, post-tension cables, and more before core drilling a hole through the slab. Performing a concrete slab-on-grade locating service typically involves scanning a trench line for conduits before conducting saw cutting and trenching to install a sanitary pipe, water line, or something similar.
