Site work and paving for a bridge / tunnel in Covington, Kentucky. Working plans call for site work for a bridge / tunnel; and for paving for a bridge / tunnel.

https://www.spartnerships.com/pipeline/current/pipeline.html Volume 15, Issue 37 - Wednesday, October 4, 2023 $10 billion available for large-scale bridge projects State and local governments have until Nov. 27, 2023, to apply for up to $10 billion in federal funds to replace, rehabilitate, protect and preserve large bridges. The grants will come from a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) program that aids projects of $100 million and more. The program will provide minimum grants of $50 million. Maximum awards will cover 50% of a project’s total cost. For the first time, applicants can apply for four fiscal years with a single application. The FHWA will also allow entities whose applications are deemed ineligible or incomplete to file an amended application. Additionally, the application process includes an online tool to help applicants summarize project costs and benefits. The Bridge Investment Program awarded $2.4 billion to 37 bridge projects across 29 states in FY 2022. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet received the largest share: $1.38 billion to rehabilitate and reconfigure the Brent Spence Bridge, which spans the Ohio River into Cincinnati. Plans call for building a companion bridge adjacent to the existing structure andreplacing 54 additional bridges over eight miles of interstates near Cincinnati. California’s Highway and Transportation District received $400 million to replace, retrofit and install structural elements on the Golden Gate Bridge. Additionally, the Connecticut Department of Transportation received $158 million for structural repairs and upgrades to a bridge on Interstate 95 over the Thames River. Chicago will use $144 million to rehabilitate four bridges over the Calumet River. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://theconstructionbroadsheet.com/fhwa-opens-billion-large-bridge-funding-round-p1531-175.htm The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has opened applications for almost $10 billion in funding through the Large Bridge Project program, which is included in 2021's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The competitive grants, which will assist in paying for bridge projects costing more than $100 million, are part of the IIJA's five-year, $40 billion Bridge Investment Program. Applicants will see some beneficial changes to the application process, the FHWA said, such as: The ability to apply for four years of funding - Fiscal Year 2023 through 2026 - at once; A "smart application" that provides more direction for applicants; A new tool that will help applicants complete the required project analysis; and A screening tool that will allow the applicant to amend an application if the first submission comes back as ineligible or incomplete. The Large Bridge program will fund up to 50% of projects costs, according to the FHWA. Eligible applicants include all levels of government, including, special-purpose transportation districts and authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, federal land management agencies and tribal governments. Eligible project costs, the agency said, include those related to development, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, property and equipment purchases, environmental work, seismic and scour protection and operational improvements. "Bridges are more than steel and concrete - they connect communities, move vital goods and make it easier to go about our daily lives," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "These grants will help communities across the country modernize their bridges and make it easier for everyone to move quickly, reliably and safely to their destinations," Buttigieg said. Last year, the FHWA said, the Bridge Investment Program sent almost $2.5 billion in grants to 37 projects in 29 states. Just over $2 billion in Large Bridge grants were: $1.4 billion for construction of the Brent Spence Bridge project over the Ohio River between Ohio and Kentucky; $400 million for a seismic retrofit project on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco; $158.2 million for rehabilitation of the northbound span of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 95 over the Thames River between New London, Connecticut and Groton, Connecticut; and $144 million for the rehabilitation of four bascule bridges over the Calumet River in Chicago. Application deadlines, the FHWA said, are Nov. 27, 2023, for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024; Aug. 1, 2024, for Fiscal Year 2025; and Aug. 1, 2025, for Fiscal Year 2026. The agency said it plans to open up applications soon for bridges with costs of less than $100 million. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2023/08/30/brent-spence-bridge-forward-100-million.html Kentucky, Ohio officials: Bridge Forward plan would add more than $100 million to Brent Spence project A citizen group's proposal to reduce the footprint of Interstate 75 as it approaches the Brent Spence Bridge and its planned companion bridge would add between $100 million and $140 million to the project's cost, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT's analysis of the Bridge Forward concept also concludes it would add more than 23 acres of land back to the urban core, add maintenance costs to the city because of a re-established street grid connecting downtown and Queensgate and require the construction of tall overpasses. Bridge Forward pledged to persist in pursuing its vision for a revised project, which includes trenching the approach to the existing bridge and planned companion bridge, so that a Fort Washington Way-style platform can be built over the highway, as well as adding back developable land. The Brent Spence Bridge project, which would add 8 miles of highway widening between the Western Hills Viaduct and Dixie Highway in Fort Mitchell, is estimated to cost $3.6 billion, up from $2.8 billion in 2022. Adding $100 million to $140 million to the project would increase the cost by 2.8% to 3.9%. ODOT's response on behalf of the bi-state management team, which includes the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, is based on a June 26 submittal by Bridge Forward and an engineer hired to refine its plans. ODOT's analysis of the plan identified what it calls "geometric issues," stemming from stacking the interchange between U.S. 50 and the interstates and placing U.S. 50 at the bottom in a tunnel. As a result, Seventh and Eighth streets under the new street grid are 50 feet at the west side and 30 feet at the east side above the existing ground, placing them as high as adjoining buildings. It also creates a steep crossing for Seventh Street over Interstate 75 that is 40 feet higher than the existing crossing, resulting in a 9.5% grade coming up from Gest Street and a 6.5% grade coming up from Central Avenue. The new, local, northbound and southbound streets that would allow the footprint to be reduced are 30 feet to 40 feet higher than the existing ground, creating "a potential physical and visual barrier between downtown and the Queensgate neighborhood." ODOT says such elevation differences are not reflected in Bridge Forward's renderings. The concept also will have an effect on about 4 acres south of Second Street near the Cincinnati Bengals practice facility and game day parking. "None of the locations listed above meet the project design criteria set during the performance-based design process and could result in operational and safety issues," according to the memo. "Correcting the geometry at these locations would require creating more distance between the constraint points and/or less elevation change by revising the levels of the various roadway elements. In both cases, that would require a larger footprint and would impact the additional contiguous developable acreage made available in the Bridge Forward concept." ODOT also analyzed how much land would be reclaimed under the concept and concluded it is 23.7 acres, not 30 acres, as Bridge Forward has projected. ODOT's current, overall plan returns nearly 13 acres. Drilling down into what will be the most desirable and developable land west of Central Avenue and east of I-75 between Third and Sixth streets, ODOT has projected it will return 9.5 acres, while Bridge Forward will return about 15 acres. The Bridge Forward concept also "requires traffic to pass through additional signals to access (the) existing downtown area," the memo said. As for coming up with a precise cost estimate, "a detailed analysis would be required," according to the memo. ODOT pledged to share the concept with the contractors hired to design and build the project. Former Cincinnati mayors John Cranley and Mark Mallory signed on to the Bridge Forward proposal, which is spearheaded by accountant Brian Boland. Fischer Homes Chairman Greg Fischer also is a leading supporter. Cranley, who is the group's lobbyist, urged Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County commissioners to hold a new round of votes making it clear to the states they favor the plan. "I took the report as a clear blueprint how the local community can embrace this vision," Cranley said. "It would be silly to squander an incredible opportunity like this for a 3% cost increase." Cranley suggested several sources could be tapped to cover the additional money needed - the project's contingency fund, the Hamilton County transportation sales tax and potentially asking for additional federal money. President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have said they want the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is funding $1.6 billion of the project, to reconnect communities split open by the construction of the interstate highway system. "The original construction of I-75 ripped through the West End and we are still dealing with the damage that was done," Mallory said. "This is a chance to create new opportunities for one of Cincinnati's most historic neighborhoods. Finding the money to pay for it should be a priority." ________________________________ https://www.constructiondive.com/news/aecom-earnings-q3-loss-higher-revenue-inflation-infrastructure/690449/ Aug 08, 2023 He cited the Brent Spence Bridge as one such IIJA-enabled project. AECOM will serve as the lead designer on the $3.6 billion span between Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky. __________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/07/28/kokosing-walsh-construction-brent-spence-bridge.html Westerville-based Kokosing is part of a joint venture that will lead construction of the massive Brent Spence Bridge project connecting Ohio and Kentucky. Leaders from both states, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, announced the Westerville-based company and Chicago's Walsh Construction have been selected for the $3.6 billion project. Kokosing and Walsh are two of the largest general contractors in the country. Beshear and DeWine made the announcement Thursday at Drees Pavilion in Devou Park overlooking the bridge site. "I'm excited by the fact that an Ohio-based company is going to play a big role," DeWine said, referring to Kokosing, which is Central Ohio's fourth-largest privately held company. "They have a long history with this build. They were the team that made the emergency repairs. They did that in a record time." Kokosing President John Householder said the two firms have been anticipating this project for many, many years. He pledged to deliver the project on time and on budget. "We are well-suited for this project," Householder said. Gov. Andy Beshearexpand Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear talks during a press conference announcing the contractors for the Brent Spence Bridge companion project. CORRIE SCHAFFELD | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER The project also will steer some of the work to disadvantaged business entities, with 9% of the design contracts going to them and 7% of construction contracts. Ohio defines DBEs as being "51% owned by one or more individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged or, in the case of a corporation, in which 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more such individuals." and "whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of the socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it." Such groups include "Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, and women. Other may be eligible on a case-by-case basis," according to the state. "This project is going to change lives," said ODOT director Jack Marchbanks. Engineering firms Aecom, Jacobs and Parsons will also work on the project. The Brent Spence Bridge project includes 8 miles of highway widening between the Western Hills Viaduct in Cincinnati and Dixie Highway in Fort Mitchell. President Joe Biden announced a $1.6 billion grant for the project in January. There is roughly 3 miles of highway expansion in Cincinnati and 5 miles in Northern Kentucky. The 50-year-old bridge carries up to 160,000 vehicles per day. It was built for 80,000 vehicles but originally there were only three lanes on each deck. The states eliminated the emergency lanes to increase capacity, so now there are four lanes in each direction. The route is the second-most congested in the nation for trucking routes. About 3% of the nation's gross domestic product passes through the corridor. _______________ https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/07/27/brent-spence-contractors-revealed.html Jul 27, 2023 Ohio and Kentucky announced two firms have won the bid to build the massive, $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge project. Chicago-based Walsh Construction and Westerville-based Kokosing, two of the largest general contractors in the country, will construct the design-build project. Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Mike DeWine of Ohio made the announcement at Drees Pavilion in Devou Park overlooking the bridge site. "I'm excited by the fact that an Ohio-based company is going to play a big role," DeWine said, referring to Kokosing. "They have a long history with this build. They were the team that made the emergency repairs. They did that in a record time." A truck crash and massive fire shuttered the bridge in 2020. "This is a project so many would say would never get done. But we are getting it done," Beshear said. DeWine touted the recapture of about 9.5 acres of land on the Ohio approach to the bridge, then added, "maybe more." Reporters asked DeWine about the comment and a concept by the citizen-led group, Bridge Forward, that proposes the project be further revised to create more open space west of downtown Cincinnati. "There's a possibility there will be more. That's what the engineers tell me," DeWine said. "We're working with Cincinnati's mayor. I think he's aligned with exactly what we are doing, and we continue to move forward." In a statement, the group said, "Bridge Forward looks forward to engaging with these firms as we continue to meet with and inform local, state and federal officials, business owners and leaders, community councils, neighborhood organizations, environmental activists, transportation advocates and the people of Cincinnati to support the once-in-a-life opportunity that the Brent Spence Corridor project presents." John Householder, president of Kokosing and University of Cincinnati graduate, said the two firms have been anticipating this project for many, many years. He pledged to deliver the project on time and on budget. "We are well suited for this project," Householder said. The project also will steer some of the work to disadvantaged business entities, with 9% of the design contracts going to them and 7% of construction contracts. Ohio defines DBEs as being "51 percent owned by one or more individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged or, in the case of a corporation, in which 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more such individuals." and "whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of the socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it." Such groups include "Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, and women. Other may be eligible on a case-by-case basis," according to the state. "This project is going to change lives," said ODOT director Jack Marchbanks. Three other firms also will work on the project. Dallas-based Jacobs engineering and AECOM will help design the project while Centreville, Va.-based Parsons engineering also will work on it. The Brent Spence Bridge project includes 8 miles of highway widening between the Western Hills Viaduct in Cincinnati and Dixie Highway in Fort Mitchell. President Joe Biden announced a $1.6 billion grant for the project in January. There is roughly 3 miles of highway expansion in Cincinnati and 5 miles in Northern Kentucky. The 50-year-old bridge carries up to 160,000 vehicles per day. It was built for 80,000 vehicles but originally there were only three lanes on each deck. The states eliminated the emergency lanes to increase capacity, so now there are four lanes in each direction. In 2021 and 2022, the American Public Transportation Research Institute, the trucking industry's research arm, found that the corridor was the second-most congested in the nation for trucking routes. In 2023, it fell to 15th. About 3% of the nation's gross domestic product passes through the corridor. The new bridge is an 84-foot-wide double-deck bridge with five lanes on each deck, plus two 12-foot shoulders and carry interstate traffic. Northbound travel will occur on the top deck, while southbound travel will occur on the lower deck. The existing bridge will be reduced to three lanes on each deck and carry local traffic. There will be an 8-foot emergency lane on each deck, as well as a 4-foot shoulder. The speed limit on the existing bridge will be reduced to 45 miles per hour. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://theconstructionbroadsheet.com/walsh-kokosing-jv-wins-b-brent-spence-corridor-project-p1445-175.htm Jul 27, 2023 Kentucky and Ohio officials on Thursday announced that the joint venture of Walsh Construction and Kokosing Construction Co. has been awarded the progressive design-build contract for the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project between Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati. The bridge project, according to Walsh Kokosing Design-Build Team, includes reconstruction of about five miles of Interstate 71/Interstate 75 (I-75) in Kentucky, reconstruction of one mile of I-75 in Ohio and construction of a new companion bridge over the Ohio River west of the existing Brent Spence Bridge. The project, costs for which will be shared by the two states, received $1.6 billion in federal-aid awards last December. Work in Ohio on the northernmost two miles of the eight-mile Bridge Corridor will be performed under a separate contract, officials said. As part of the federal funding announcement last year, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Ohio Department of Transportation released early-stage renderings. Also part of the design and construction team are AECOM, Parsons and Jacobs. HNTB Corp. is leading the project's consultant team, which also includes HMB Professional Engineers Inc., American Structurepoint Inc. and Rasor. The award announcement indicated that WEB Ventures would act as the diversity, inclusion and outreach consultant for the joint venture. According to the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued in February 2023, the existing bridge will be used for local traffic once the new span is complete. The new companion bridge will carry interstate traffic. Work on the existing bridge includes reducing the number of lanes on each deck from four to three and increasing shoulder widths. Some of the contract objectives, according to the RFP, are: Build a project with a context-sensitive design that fits the community; Maximize public investment by minimizing the project's footprint; Minimize the footprint of the interstate system to maximize potential developable space; Improve neighborhood connectivity across the interstate; Minimize traffic disruption during construction with minimal detours to local streets; and Provide opportunities for Workforce Development and DBE utilization. The new bridge is expected to be open to traffic in the summer of 2029 with full project completion slated for 2030. "We are thrilled to be selected as the design-build team for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform this vital connector between Kentucky and Ohio," said John Householder, president of Kokosing Construction Co. and partner in the Walsh Kokosing Design-Build Team. "Freight drives the nation's economy," Householder said. "The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor plays a key role in the Greater Cincinnati region and throughout Ohio and Kentucky, while also connecting Michigan to Florida and New York to Los Angeles." _______________________________________________________________________ Brent Spence Bridge Project. Milepoints: From MP 191.277 To 191.777 Purpose and Need: AM-Bridge (P) As of February 24, 2023, the project is in Conceptual status. Anticipated Letting Year is 2023. KYTC - Brent Spence Bridge Project *Project information has been obtained through a public state transportation improvement plan (STIP). A STIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the STIP often evolves based on funding availability. The project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.