The joint venture (JV), Walsh Group and Kokosing (Walsh Kokosing), have been awarded the design-build contract for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, which will renovate a major gateway along Interstates 71 and 75 (I-71 and I-75) between Ohio and Kentucky, alongside the construction of a new companion bridge to reduce congestion.
The contract addresses 9.7 km (6 mi) of the corridor’s total 12.8 km (8 mi), including 8 km (5 mi) of I-71/75 in Kentucky and 1.6 km (1 mi) of I-75 in Ohio.
As prime contractor, Walsh Kokosing will recruit participant companies and workers for the $3.6 billion project. Approximately $3.1 billion will be spent on the design-build portion of the project. The remaining $500 million is allocated for improvements on the 3.2 km (2 mi) stretch of the I-75 corridor, north of Linn Street in Cincinnati, including a new interchange for the Western Hills viaduct.
AECOM will serve as the lead designer for the project. The firm will provide comprehensive design and engineering leadership to deliver critical upgrades that address safety and traffic flow; increase capacity between the states, improve the complex interchange geometry; and upgrade the interstate multiple kilometers (miles) into Kentucky. AECOM will also provide project supervision services to lead a team of subcontractors which includes Jacobs and other engineering firms.
Work on the two northernmost directions of the corridor in Ohio will be done under separate contracts. The primary goals of the project include improving safety and traffic flow and maintaining connections to key regional and national transportation corridors.
“It’s great that Kokosing, an Ohio-based company, will play a pivotal role in the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project,” says Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine. “Both Kokosing and Walsh have a long history of working with the Ohio Department of Transportation, and I’m confident that we have the best people on both sides of the river to see this project to completion.”
