The Federal Highway Administration recently announced $12 million in emergency relief (ER) funding to begin repairs on the Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River, which was recently damaged by a fire resulting from a truck crash.
“These funds will help the safe and timely repair of the Brent Spence Bridge, which is such an important transportation link between Kentucky and Ohio and one of the busiest freight corridors in our nation,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement.
The Brent Spence Bridge is a double decker, cantilevered truss bridge that carries I-71 and I-75 across the Ohio River between Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. In the early morning hours of Nov. 11, a truck hauling potassium hydroxide and diesel fuel crashed into a jackknifed truck, catching fire on the northbound deck of Brent Spence Bridge, according to FHWA.
The Brent Spence Bridge is currently closed to all traffic as the extent of structural damage is assessed.
The $12 million in “quick release” funding will be used to initiate the most critical repairs to the damaged roadway. The Brent Spence Bridge is a vital transportation link, not just for the region, but for the nation, carrying an estimated 165,000 vehicles per day. It was built in 1963.
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SOURCE: FHWA
IMAGE: Antony-22 [CCA-4.0] via Wikimedia Commons
