THE JUMP
LOGISTICS
PEEK-A-BOO ON THE RIVER The Brent Spence Bridge was dressed up for Halloween all summer and fall, causing additional traffic backup as maintenance and painting work continued around the clock. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) will soon offer drivers a treat, though, as the $36-million project wraps up in mid-November.
EVERY 30 YEARS OR SO The Brent Spence Bridge opened in 1963 and was repainted in 1991. This year’s project focused on cleaning and painting, as well as routine maintenance work like drainage and signage repairs and replacement.
IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHING The maintenance work followed on the heels of the truck crash in November 2020 that shut down the bridge completely for six weeks. KYTC officials say they couldn’t coordinate the current work with those repairs because they don’t paint in the winter.
A HEAVY LOAD The bridge’s heavy use is well-documented and widely bemoaned, which results in more frequent and more costly maintenance. Current daily traffic loads are twice what the Brent Spence Bridge was designed to carry.
NOT GOING ANYWHERE Under all future scenarios being studied by the KYTC, the Brent Spence Bridge will not be replaced but instead will be joined by a new highway bridge, likely just to the west. So this paint job is designed to last another 20-30 years.
10 REALM FALL 2021
P H O T O G R A P H BY R I C K LO H R E / S T O C K . A D O B E . C O M
