COVINGTON, Ky. — One of the first noticeable signs of construction of the Brent Spence Companion Bridge could come in the form of a detour for cyclists and pedestrians.
The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project is proposing to close a 0.8-mile portion of the Riverfront Commons Trail in Covington for approximately five years, beginning in the summer of 2025.
The closure starts just west of the Brent Spence Bridge and continues to roughly 150 feet before the trail hits the Covington Plaza.
A public notice states a temporary work bridge is necessary to facilitate construction. It will be built adjacent to and over top of the Riverfront Commons Trail.
Additionally, the notice states “temporary vehicular access to haul, store, and move construction materials will also encroach on the Trail during construction of the project.”
A detour, approximately 0.2 miles longer than the 0.8-mile stretch, is proposed with various traffic calming measures, depending on the location.
Orange barrels, concrete barriers, bike lanes and shared-use paths are all options along the pathway. (See pages 9 through 13 of the following PDF)
Nate Weyand-Geise, a cyclist and a resident of Covington's Botany Hills neighborhood, said he'll be encouraging state leaders to pick one.
“Let's have one consistent, safe alternative to the Riverfront Commons,” he said.
Speaking next to a RedBike, which he uses to get to work, Weyand-Geise said he’s considering moving from the area as construction gets underway: “It's been a great place to live, but with the bridge construction, it's not going to be as desirable to live there.”
While he’d like to see an alternative to the project altogether, when it comes to the Riverfront Commons Trail, he wants to ensure that the detour is the best accommodation possible.
Seeking Public Comment
State officials are seeking feedback on potential trail alternatives by Feb. 23. More information on how to do that can be found here.
Community advocates like Matt Butler of the Coalition of Transit and Sustainable Development are working on a response.
Consistent protection throughout the detour (such as a concrete barrier) and the length of the closure are top issues, Butler said.
“We hope that, you know, the cake is not completely baked; that they’re willing to go back and make some adjustments,” he said.
The Coalition of Transit and Sustainable Development represents the 20% of people in Covington who don’t have an automobile, according to Butler.
"We want to elevate the neighbors and make sure their voices are heard, and we want to make sure that what they want and what they need out of this project happens," Butler said.
In a statement Wednesday, the non-profit organization behind Riverfront Commons, Southbank Partners, said it is "actively developing a comprehensive response to the public notice" with the City of Covington.
"Our goal is to minimize disruptions associated with this major Riverfront Commons project while ensuring its successful implementation," Riverfront Commons stated.
Environmental Impact
On Jan. 29, the Ohio EPA is hosting a virtual public hearing to discuss water quality certification for the project.
The Ohio Department of Transportation applied for a permit with the agency to allow for the discharge of materials into the Ohio River that could degrade the water quality during construction.
ODOT in an email said the permit application is standard practice.
Dr. Amy Townsend-Small, a professor of environmental science at the University of Cincinnati, is opposed to the entire project. She said she’d like to see investment in public transportation instead.
A companion bridge, she said, will not solve the underlying problem: “Planners and environmental scientists agree, it won't be a long-term solution to traffic,” she said.
There will be “more traffic, more pollution, more exposure to noise and more disturbance to the communities, and this trail closure is one example … It’s the beginning,” Townsend-Small said.
When will construction begin?
ODOT lists Oct. 31, 2025, as the construction start date. District 8 spokesperson Kathleen Fuller said it’s essentially a placeholder, and that she anticipates more significant construction activities beginning late 2025 or early 2026.
What do neighbors say?
Residents said the start of construction brings mixed feelings.
"It's been a little bit of an emotional thing for the neighborhood because it means so much, and it feels like we're just kind of a pawn," said Ben Bailey, a resident of Covington’s Botany Hills.
Now that construction seems to be set to get underway, Bailey said he’d like attention to be given to the neighborhoods that will live with the disruption of construction for years.
"I can't really change the fact that I live by this bridge, but if we're gonna do it, let's do it right and allocate the proper resources to make this transition as seamless as possible," said Bailey.
