Project Background
The $4.4B Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) project is designed to improve approximately eight miles of Interstates 71 and 75 through Kentucky and Ohio. The project includes the construction of a new double-decked cable-stay companion bridge, rehabilitation of the existing Brent Spence Bridge, five miles of reconstruction and widening in Kentucky, and one mile of reconstructed highway and many interconnected bridges on the Ohio side.
S&ME Services
Our team will be managing an on-site materials testing lab and supporting the Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) staff on the Kentucky and River Crossing segments of the project with material acceptance oversight and inspection and testing support.
Challenges
S&ME is supporting the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project with a coordinated, high‑capacity approach to materials testing helping keep one of the region’s largest infrastructure programs moving forward. Our team will operate an on-site laboratory that meets Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) standards while delivering accurate, timely results at the pace required for a project of this scale.
As one of KYTC’s first major projects to implement AASHTOWare Project (AWP), we are helping integrate materials data into a new, fully digital project environment, advancing consistency, transparency, and real-time accessibility across the project team.
Field operations are structured to support continuous construction activity, including 24-hour work and testing in complex environments such as cofferdams and over-water conditions. Our team works alongside contractor quality control personnel, third-party laboratories, and KYTC quality assurance staff to align testing, reporting, and acceptance processes, keeping production on track while supporting an accelerated construction schedule.
Results and Impact
Named for Kentucky’s longest-serving congressman at the time, the Brent Spence Bridge is the gateway for motorists traveling across Interstates 71 and 75. A vital corridor for freight and local travelers alike, this bridge spans the Ohio River – connecting travelers to the central business districts in Covington and Cincinnati and beyond. The project is anticipated to be complete in 2032 and the improvements will reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and safety, maintain key regional and national transportation corridors, reconnect east and west Covington with improved pedestrian facilities, and return new development ready land to downtown Cincinnati.