The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) project is designed to improve approximately 8 miles of Interstates 71 and 75 through Kentucky and Ohio, including the addition of a new companion bridge to the existing Brent Spence Bridge to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and safety, and maintain key regional and national transportation corridors.

OHIO IMPROVEMENTS

Reconstructing and widening about three miles of I-75 between the Ohio River and the Western Hills Viaduct will improve traffic flow through downtown Cincinnati and across the Ohio River, as well as improve access to local communities and business districts. Working in coordination with local communities throughout the corridor has been a cornerstone of the planning process. One of the outcomes includes the project team redesigning ramp configurations to downtown based on feedback from the City of Cincinnati and the Chamber of Commerce to return 10 acres of land to the city for redevelopment.

MITIGATION & ENHANCEMENTS TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY

The project will bring the community together with improved pedestrian and bicycle connections across I-75 through enhancements to existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the Cincinnati area. In addition, the project calls for new sidewalks and shared-use paths along existing streets crossing I-75 to improve connectivity to transit, employment, healthcare, cultural, recreational, and commercial destinations. Aesthetic enhancements, such as decorative treatments on bridges and walls, lighting, planters, and translucent screen walls on overpass bridges to offer a walkable urban sense of place.

In addition, heavy rains currently cause flooding to occur in residents’ homes adjacent to the highway due to stormwater runoff flowing into the combined sewer system. ODOT is working with the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati to ensure highway stormwater runoff will be separated from the combined sewer system as part of this project to reduce overflow events and flooding.

In May 2024, the BSBC project team announced four innovative refinements for the project area. The recommended design refinements meet or exceed the contract objectives of improving quality, reducing costs, shortening schedule, improving safety and/or supporting local communities. To view the design innovations, click here.

PROJECT PHASES

The project will be built in three phases. Beginning with the north end of the project, Phase I in yellow will include a new interchange with the Western Hills Viaduct and improvements to I-75 and its interchanges to Findlay Street. Phase II in red will include I-75 improvements from Findlay Street to Linn Street. And Phase III in blue will include all other improvements near the central business district in Cincinnati. The rest of the blue section includes the building the new companion bridge and improvements to the interstate highway and interchanges in Kentucky.

Key elements of the project plan in Ohio include:

  • Reconstructing and widening I-75 within the project area (approximately 3 miles in Ohio);
  • Constructing a new interchange on I-75 that connects to the Western Hills Viaduct, which is a stand-alone project being developed by the City of Cincinnati;
  • Replacing the bridges carrying or over I-75;
  • Reconstructing interchange ramps, including removing left-hand exits;
  • Replacing the two, one-way bridges on Ezzard Charles Drive with one, two-way bridge to improve safety;
  • Reconstructing portions Gest Street and Court Street;
  • Constructing a collector-distributor system – a network of roads to help traffic move more efficiently between the local roads and I-75; and
  • Adding a new exit at Ezzard Charles Drive from the south to provide better access to various destinations, including the West End, Over-the-Rhine, the Cincinnati Museum Center, and TQL Stadium.