April 20, 20232 yr Latest schedule update posted on the project website by ODOT. 4/13/2023 Schedule Update The remaining anticipated procurement schedule shall be as follows: Milestone Date Draft RFP Release: Friday, January 13, 2023 Final RFP Release: Friday, February 17, 2023 Last date for Offeror team registration (Form L (Offeror Registration)):Monday, February 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time Pre-Proposal One-on-One Meeting No. 1 (Regarding the RFP): Thursday, February 23, 2023 Pre-Proposal One-on-One Meeting No. 2 (Regarding the RFP): Thursday, March 9, 2023 Pre-Proposal One-on-One Meeting No. 3 (Regarding Bonding and Insurance):Tuesday, March 14, 2023 Pre-Proposal One-on-One Meeting No. 4 (Regarding the RFP): Monday, April 3, 2023 or Tuesday, April 4, 2023 Anticipated final Addenda: Monday, April 10, 2023 Proposal Due Date: Friday, April 14, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time Interview: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 DBT Selection Announcement: Week of 6/5/2023
April 25, 20232 yr Interesting to see John Cranley become a vocal supporter of the Bridge Forward vision: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/04/25/cranley-backs-bridge-forward-lobbies-council.html
April 26, 20232 yr 18 hours ago, jwulsin said: Interesting to see John Cranley become a vocal supporter of the Bridge Forward vision: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/04/25/cranley-backs-bridge-forward-lobbies-council.html Believe he's been hired by Bridge Forward using the influx of cash from Fischer, but I've heard he's a true believer (surprising). His lobbying and the extra donations have really breathed life into Bridge Forward, who seemed very close to giving up just a few weeks ago. Heard the CEI meeting yesterday went well, anybody from here attend and could give an update?
April 26, 20232 yr They are going to be at the council today at 1:30pm as well. On Cranley, I don't think it's actually that surprising. He's a real estate guy and this is opening up a lot of potential real estate downtown. He didn't like the Streetcar and improvement of OTR because it was seen as moving investment away from downtown, however in this case, if the downtown power players like something and see an opportunity to gain more power\, control more land and make a ton of money from adding acres to downtown real estate, it's kind of a no-brainer.
April 26, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, ucgrady said: They are going to be at the council today at 1:30pm as well. The motion got bumped. Probably next week.
April 26, 20232 yr 4 hours ago, dnymck said: Believe he's been hired by Bridge Forward using the influx of cash from Fischer, but I've heard he's a true believer (surprising). I believe that Fischer Homes wants as much connectivity between Ohio and Kentucky as is humanly possible, since they want to be able to sell homes to people who work in the opposite state. They don't want airport accessibility to be an impediment to their Ohio developments. They want Cincinnati to rise in profile because they are sitting on many thousands of land options and want to cash in. It's a bit funny seeing Greg Fischer St. X '96 sitting alongside John Cranley '92 as they are complete opposites. Greg has probably never raised his voice in his life whereas Cranley is a heart attack man.
April 26, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, ucgrady said: He didn't like the Streetcar and improvement of OTR because it was seen as moving investment away from downtown This is a first, I never heard this before. If true what a horrible misguided mistake. He really thought leaving OTR a slum and blocking a streetcar was going to help the central business district, has to be the craziest thing I’ve heard all year so far. Edited April 26, 20232 yr by 646empire
April 26, 20232 yr 16 minutes ago, 646empire said: This is a first, I never heard this before. If true what a horrible misguided mistake. He really thought leaving OTR a slum and blocking a streetcar was going to help the central business district, has to be the craziest thing I’ve heard all year so far. Well the fear that a revitalized OTR would pull restaurants, bars, and energy away from the CBD, where the blue bloods all own property, has proven correct. Luckily, numerous boutique hotels have opened in the CBD to partially offset this trend (including one in a building formerly owned by Cranley's dad), but the bottom line is that Cincinnati needs all cylinders firing on Downtown, OTR, and The Banks. Right now it's still possible, and even likely, that visitors will happen to pass through the city at a completely dead moment.
April 26, 20232 yr 17 minutes ago, Lazarus said: Well the fear that a revitalized OTR would pull restaurants, bars, and energy away from the CBD, where the blue bloods all own property, has proven correct. We disagree there. The growth of OTR and The Banks has enhanced the CBD not taken away from it. The idea that if OTR was not revitalized much of todays OTR foot traffic, restaurants, bars, activity and such would be in the CBD is laughable.
April 26, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, 646empire said: This is a first, I never heard this before. If true what a horrible misguided mistake. He really thought leaving OTR a slum and blocking a streetcar was going to help the central business district, has to be the craziest thing I’ve heard all year so far. No. This isn't true. He's been pushing that conspiracy for years. That somehow the rich and powerful people in Cincy wanted OTR to flounder because they were worried about the shifting center of gravity. In reality they came together to form and support 3CDC because they knew that OTR needed to thrive for the CBD to thrive, and that has proven true. The CBD is as lively as ever and there are going to be lots more people living downtown in the coming years. The truth is, John was skeptical of the streetcar from the start, and once he was locked in as the anti-streetcar guy his ego wouldn't let him admit he was wrong. It had nothing to do with wanting OTR to stay a slum.
April 26, 20232 yr 1 minute ago, DEPACincy said: conspiracy for years. That somehow the rich and powerful people in Cincy wanted OTR to flounder because they were worried about the shifting center of gravity. If only people read real books instead of arguing on Twitter about the time change, tipping, and Bradford pear trees: https://www.amazon.com/Downtown-Its-Rise-Fall-1880-1950/dp/0300098278
April 28, 20232 yr What Mayor Aftab Pureval thinks of the latest plan to alter the Brent Spence Bridge project City and state transportation officials alongside the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber held a November news conference just a few feet from Interstate 75 to tout changes to the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge project that would add 9.5 acres of land to downtown. Mayor Aftab Pureval was asked whether the acreage announced was the maximum the city could expect given that a group of citizens known as Bridge Forward was pushing for as much as 30 acres of land. “At this point in the process, it looks like 10 acres is the max based on the geometry and the needs of the project. But again, 10 acres is a lot of opportunity for the city,” Pureval said. Earlier this week, after Bridge Forward outlined an adjusted plan, Pureval left open the possibility that the city could push for more. Quote “I don’t remember what I said,” Pureval told the Business Courier on April 26. “To the extent that we can continue to change the designs and reduce the footprints while also having a clear understanding of how that impacts the timeline of the bridge construction, the cost of the bridge construction and also the cost of maintaining whatever design changes we have is incredibly important to the ultimate rationale.” More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/04/28/pureval-bridge-forward-reaction.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 9, 20232 yr Changes made to the vision to alter the Brent Spence Bridge project By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier May 9, 2023 As Cincinnati City Council considers this week whether to urge the Ohio Department of Transportation to look closer at the Bridge Forward group’s plan to reclaim more developable land from the Brent Spence Bridge project, the organization has made several major changes. Bridge Forward’s overall vision calls for the state to narrow the highway’s footprint as it approaches the Brent Spence Bridge and its new, companion bridge by creating two collector roads alongside each side of a trenched Interstate 75. It also alters the spaghetti configurations of roadways over the highway. Council’s environment and infrastructure committee is expected to vote Tuesday on a resolution urging ODOT to not stop with the 9.5 acres it’s already planning to give back to the city and go further in refining its design. The resolution is backed by council members Meeka Owens, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Jeff Cramerding, Reggie Harris and Seth Walsh, as well as Mayor Aftab Pureval. MORE
May 9, 20232 yr They're trying to get special federal money and so are claiming that the Brent Spence Bridge approach was a significant contributor to demolition of the West End. It wasn't, and in fact, I-75 itself doesn't take up much of the former row house neighborhood. Most of the neighborhood was lost to car dealerships, light industry, gas stations, and fast food. Look at an old satellite image. Look at a current satellite image. Do some simple math.
May 10, 20232 yr 19 hours ago, Lazarus said: Brent Spence Bridge approach was a significant contributor to demolition of the West End. It wasn't, and in fact, I-75 itself doesn't take up much of the former row house neighborhood. It's a situation of "both and". You're right that a lot of the slum clearing and urban renewal happened before I-75 was constructed, but I don't see how you can argue 75 wasn't a "significant contributor". And the car-focused people/policies/forces that pushed for I-75 were closely connected to what prompted the other changes throughout the West End.
May 11, 20232 yr Cincinnati wants Ohio Department of Transportation to look closer at Brent Spence design By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier May 11, 2023 The Ohio Department of Transportation should consider more ways to narrow the footprint of the Brent Spence Bridge approach, including the Bridge Forward proposal that seeks to reclaim 30 acres of land in the city’s urban core, a resolution passed by Cincinnati City Council says. Council, which pushed for the resolution, approved it unanimously on May 10, and it included Mayor Aftab Pureval as a co-sponsor. It's a significant move by council to try to shape the once-in-a-generation project. “We are in a moment where … we have to think differently,” said Councilwoman Meeka Owens. “We are in a moment where we have the opportunity to do these things. It’s not about emotions. It’s about facts.” MORE
May 12, 20232 yr On 5/10/2023 at 12:23 PM, jwulsin said: It's a situation of "both and". You're right that a lot of the slum clearing and urban renewal happened before I-75 was constructed, but I don't see how you can argue 75 wasn't a "significant contributor". And the car-focused people/policies/forces that pushed for I-75 were closely connected to what prompted the other changes throughout the West End. There are plenty of neighborhoods in Cincinnati and around the United States situated miles from any interstate highway that deteriorated to the same extent, or to an even greater extent than Cincinnati's West End. Avondale, Price Hills, Fairmount, etc. In Los Angeles, thousands upon thousands of prewar homes were demolished in the 1950s-1970s to build the bulk of their freeway network. The last of the major freeways, The Century Freeway, was built directly through 1950s/60s sprawl. They tore down the childhood home of The Beach Boys. But the neighborhoods are all still doing great, with homes abutting the Century Freeway selling for over $1 million. Here's where The Beach Boys grew up and had their first practices: And here's the Hollywood Freeway, which was built diagonally straight through Hollywood in the 1950s, but the homes all still sell for over $1 million:
May 12, 20232 yr On 5/11/2023 at 8:17 AM, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: Cincinnati wants Ohio Department of Transportation to look closer at Brent Spence design By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier May 11, 2023 The Ohio Department of Transportation should consider more ways to narrow the footprint of the Brent Spence Bridge approach, including the Bridge Forward proposal that seeks to reclaim 30 acres of land in the city’s urban core, a resolution passed by Cincinnati City Council says. Council, which pushed for the resolution, approved it unanimously on May 10, and it included Mayor Aftab Pureval as a co-sponsor. It's a significant move by council to try to shape the once-in-a-generation project. “We are in a moment where … we have to think differently,” said Councilwoman Meeka Owens. “We are in a moment where we have the opportunity to do these things. It’s not about emotions. It’s about facts.” MORE Can somebody summarize the key differences between the latest Bridge Forward proposal and what ODOT presented most recently? I looked at the drawings in the agenda packet from May 10th City Council meeting (drawings on pages 507-514): https://cincinnatioh.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=PA&ID=1101496&GUID=5B3DF769-8AB6-4F81-976E-EBBE07BD9DD4 It seems like the main differences are regarding how US-50 cross I-75, but to be honest I can't totally understand what the key differences are. Can somebody list out the key differences?
May 12, 20232 yr Very good comparison here Basically Urban Boulevard on both sides of highway connected with street grid. Ramps to 7th and 6th northbound with a connected streetgrid. More substancial land reclaimation than odot plan. Hopkins and Kenner go across. 5th to 9th is able to be capped as well as between Hopkins and Kenner. 50 runs as a covered trench underneath.
May 12, 20232 yr On 5/9/2023 at 4:50 PM, Lazarus said: They're trying to get special federal money and so are claiming that the Brent Spence Bridge approach was a significant contributor to demolition of the West End. It wasn't, and in fact, I-75 itself doesn't take up much of the former row house neighborhood. Most of the neighborhood was lost to car dealerships, light industry, gas stations, and fast food. Look at an old satellite image. Look at a current satellite image. Do some simple math. Was both queensgate and 75/6th st Expressway that decimated the neighborhood. All were planned by the Kenyon Barr Renewal Plan, the single largest displacement urban renewal project in the country.
May 12, 20232 yr 15 hours ago, Lazarus said: There are plenty of neighborhoods in Cincinnati and around the United States situated miles from any interstate highway that deteriorated to the same extent, or to an even greater extent than Cincinnati's West End. Avondale, Price Hills, Fairmount, etc. In Los Angeles, thousands upon thousands of prewar homes were demolished in the 1950s-1970s to build the bulk of their freeway network. The last of the major freeways, The Century Freeway, was built directly through 1950s/60s sprawl. They tore down the childhood home of The Beach Boys. But the neighborhoods are all still doing great, with homes abutting the Century Freeway selling for over $1 million. Here's where The Beach Boys grew up and had their first practices: And here's the Hollywood Freeway, which was built diagonally straight through Hollywood in the 1950s, but the homes all still sell for over $1 million: Those LA examples are such expensive neighborhoods not because the highway didn't do damage, but because there's an insane housing shortage.
May 12, 20232 yr 40 minutes ago, DEPACincy said: Those LA examples are such expensive neighborhoods not because the highway didn't do damage, but because there's an insane housing shortage. Also a factor in that is how much house $1M buys in CA vs. OKI, apples to apples. I'd speculate that a huge driver is because the LA valleys are so extensively built out and the hills are prohibitively expensive to basically everyone. In OKI, we have the peneplain surrounding which are all usable land, so if I want to build in southern Boone County or Turtle Creek or Hanover Township, I can do so, and still have great connectivity to the metros. Edited May 12, 20232 yr by Rabbit Hash
May 15, 20232 yr On 2/16/2023 at 8:29 AM, thomasbw said: ODOT posted the 2022 traffic counts. Traffic grew by 149 vehicles per day from 2021-2022 and crossings remain -13.5% below where they were ten years ago. The projections are becoming increasingly unmoored from reality (they aren't even using the correct 'current year' traffic counts in the projections any more) Just curious - what is the source for these numbers? I am wanting to look at some older articles I have that show similar projections but I don't recall any that have numbers past 200,000 VPD.
May 15, 20232 yr On 5/12/2023 at 3:56 PM, Rabbit Hash said: Also a factor in that is how much house $1M buys in CA vs. OKI, apples to apples. I'd speculate that a huge driver is because the LA valleys are so extensively built out and the hills are prohibitively expensive to basically everyone. In OKI, we have the peneplain surrounding which are all usable land, so if I want to build in southern Boone County or Turtle Creek or Hanover Township, I can do so, and still have great connectivity to the metros. The West End's demise wasn't caused by the highway's physicality but rather the competition it enabled. Even if I-75 and Queensgate hadn't been built, it still would have devolved into semi-abandonment. It was doomed either way.
May 15, 20232 yr The suburbs promised everything back then and when it was time to go downtown they weren't 20 miles out like they are now.
May 15, 20232 yr 20 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: The suburbs promised everything back then and when it was time to go downtown they weren't 20 miles out like they are now. The suburbs are partly fueled by rural areas. People from two counties away drive long distances on the divided 4-lane rural highways to the major metro loop highways (I-275, I-270) rather than their dead small downtowns (Richmond, IN, Chillicothe, etc.) to work and to shop.
May 15, 20232 yr 9 hours ago, Lazarus said: The West End's demise wasn't caused by the highway's physicality but rather the competition it enabled. Even if I-75 and Queensgate hadn't been built, it still would have devolved into semi-abandonment. It was doomed either way. How can you be so confident of this? Abandonment was not the fate for similar row house neighborhoods without highways in other cities. I'm thinking of places like South Philadelphia and Canton in Baltimore. Certainly white flight still would have affected the West End but the level of abandonment and destruction would have been very unlikely without the highway running right through it.
May 17, 20232 yr @John Schneider: Bridge Forward plan can net the city even more benefits than trenching Fort Washington Way did I was a founding board member of Downtown Cincinnati Inc. and served as chairman of its transportation committee. In that role, I proposed the reconfiguration of Fort Washington Way and led DCI’s campaign to gain its approval. No one under 30 has any idea how bad the old Fort Washington Way was. Former City Manager John Shirey once quipped, “Whatever lane you were in, you were always in the wrong lane.” Fort Washington Way was almost 800 feet wide, and you had to climb stairs to skywalks to cross over the highway to Riverfront Stadium, the only place on the old riverfront worth visiting. The rest of the riverfront was covered by a sea of surface parking. In planner’s lingo, the old Fort Washington Way was a “given” – something that could never be changed. The Hamilton County engineer said changing Fort Washington Way was “messing with the Pyramids.” City Hall’s only plan for redeveloping the riverfront involved the construction of a massive platform taking off from Race Street north of Third Street, passing over the highway nearly to the water’s edge. Buildings would be constructed on adjacent platforms to prevent flood damage. This scheme was so grotesque it has been erased from our civic memory. Truth be told, few people saw any potential for the riverfront so long as the barrier of Fort Washington Way was there. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/05/17/my-view-bridge-forward-schneider.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 26, 20232 yr Transportation officials meet with Bridge Forward to discuss Brent Spence plans May 23rd, 2023 CINCINNATI — One more step was taken today towards the possible redesign of a new Brent Spence bridge. The very notion of a different design on the Ohio side of where it would be built was once considered a bridge too far. But now Ohio Department of Transportation officials are giving it greater attention. They met this afternoon with a group called Bridge Forward. There appears to be growing interest in what they've proposed. "The ODOT Director was in town yesterday walking with the mayor through that area," said longtime transportation expert John Schneider today. "I thought that was a good sign. I think you're going to see more of the business community start to get behind this." -- ODOT released a statement on the meeting Tuesday night, stating their goal of "building a project that addresses the needs of both interstate and local traffic that benefits those traveling through and living in the area." “Today, we met with Bridge Forward for the fourth time this year. Once the design-build team is selected, we will loop them into the conversation. While we share many common goals with Bridge Forward, the project we deliver must be safe for all who drive, walk, or bike through it," the statement read. ______ Proud of the work our group has achieved. Feeling very optimistic.
May 30, 20232 yr On 5/14/2023 at 9:04 PM, seicer said: Just curious - what is the source for these numbers? I am wanting to look at some older articles I have that show similar projections but I don't recall any that have numbers past 200,000 VPD. The projections are mostly from Enquirer Articles- The actual counts are from ODOT's website- https://odot.ms2soft.com/tcds/tsearch.asp?loc=odot
May 31, 20232 yr Thanks @thomasbw! I am familiar with several methodologies in how traffic projections are determined but this assumes that there is never an upward limit and that it will be continuously growing. At some point, an upper bound is reached because of alternative routes (I-471, I-275, and local bridges) and because of capacity constraints. I am reminded of the dire traffic counts projected for Louisville's Ohio River Bridges Project, but that never came to fruition because of the impact from tolling and because of alternative routes - especially for local commuters.
June 11, 20232 yr I believe the last schedule I had seen from ODOT said they were supposed to announce the builder for the Brent Spence last week. I don't believe I have seen anything in the press or announced from ODOT or KYTC. Does anyone know if there has been an update to the schedule?
June 16, 20231 yr Bridge Forward Cincinnati is alerting you to an important event regarding the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. Click on the Eventbrite invite to attend and join this community conversation on the region’s most important infrastructure project in decades. Thank you. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-community-conversation-about-the-brent-spence-and-cincinnatis-future-tickets-656717488687?aff=oddtdtcreator Date and time Wednesday, June 21 · 5 - 8pm EDT Location Cincinnati Museum Center 1301 Western Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45203 Formerly "Mr Sparkle"
June 18, 20231 yr A pair of new Mississippi River bridges for I-74 near Quad Cities, IA just opened. These are similar to the new Brent Spence, except single-decked.
June 27, 20231 yr Did anyone attend the Bridge Forward meeting last week at CUT? I didn't much press coverage of the meeting or follow up. Also have not seen any announcements from ODOT on the design build team. Edited June 27, 20231 yr by GHOST TRACKS
June 28, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, GHOST TRACKS said: Did anyone attend the Bridge Forward meeting last week at CUT? I didn't much press coverage of the meeting or follow up. Also have not seen any announcements from ODOT on the design build team. I did not, but the Bridge-Forward website does have a new presentation dated June 2023 on there. I imagine this is what was talked about. In summary, they do a deep dive on development opportunities (not just the renderings Bridge-Forward originally had, but numbers, plans and scenarios. WCPO did put out a story as well. John Cranley called on elected officials to grow a spine, which I though was comical. We all know he's supporting this because his buddies could be in for big dollars. Happy to have him on the team, but hilarious nonetheless.
June 28, 20231 yr 13 hours ago, GHOST TRACKS said: Did anyone attend the Bridge Forward meeting last week at CUT? Had to go back to the Eventbrite website to see where the event was held to figure out what "CUT" means. I've never heard anybody refer to Union Terminal as "CUT". Cincinnati Museum Central uses "CMC" in some of their branding/marketing materials, but I don't think I've heard heard anybody in conversation refer to it as simply "CMC". This is personal peeve of mine: acronyms ought to be avoided, unless very well established and widely understood.
July 2, 20231 yr On 6/28/2023 at 9:07 AM, jwulsin said: Had to go back to the Eventbrite website to see where the event was held to figure out what "CUT" means. I've never heard anybody refer to Union Terminal as "CUT". Cincinnati Museum Central uses "CMC" in some of their branding/marketing materials, but I don't think I've heard heard anybody in conversation refer to it as simply "CMC". This is personal peeve of mine: acronyms ought to be avoided, unless very well established and widely understood. Acronyms Seriously Suck When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
July 15, 20231 yr Bridge Forward proposal for Brent Spence could have multibillion-dollar impact, according to Karp Strategies A group trying to get the Brent Spence Bridge plan reworked so Cincinnati can add land to the west of downtown has commissioned an economic impact study that shows the city stands to gain billions of dollars in annual economic impact under its plan. The Bridge Forward concept calls for the Ohio Department of Transportation to return 25 acres of land to the city by narrowing the footprint of Interstate 75 as it approaches the Brent Spence Bridge and a new companion bridge to be constructed as part of the project. As the concept has been refined, the group's estimated amount of land that can be reclaimed is down from an initial estimate of 30 acres. Skeptics of Bridge Forward’s concept believe the group overestimates the amount of land that would be returned. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/07/14/bridge-forward-economic-impact-projection.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 28, 20231 yr Walsh Construction, Kokosing will build Brent Spence bridge project By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier Jul 27, 2023 Updated Jul 27, 2023, 4:53pm EDT 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." MORE Edited July 28, 20231 yr by The_Cincinnati_Kid
July 28, 20231 yr Is there any info on the designers or other local firms on the Walsh team? Not really surprised at the selection of the contractors..
July 28, 20231 yr 15 hours ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: Walsh Construction, Kokosing will build Brent Spence bridge project By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier Jul 27, 2023 Updated Jul 27, 2023, 4:53pm EDT 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." MORE So that seems positive!
July 31, 20231 yr What do we think is a realistic timeline to see updated plans? End of calendar year?
July 31, 20231 yr Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber questions attempts to change Brent Spence Bridge project The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber distributed a letter to business leaders and stakeholders from CEO Brendon Cull in June questioning attempts to significantly alter the design of the Brent Spence Bridge project and suggesting major changes would be expensive and unwieldy. Bridge Forward, the leading group trying to rework the design, said the chamber was prepared to "squander" an opportunity to make major improvements to a project likely to last a century. In the June 29 letter, Cull does not specifically name groups who are actively involved but separately trying to change the existing plan. One is Bridge Forward, which favors a new companion bridge but wants the Ohio-side highway design changed to open up more land west of downtown. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/07/31/chamber-questions-attempts-to-change-brent-spence.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
August 1, 20231 yr 39 minutes ago, ColDayMan said: Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber questions attempts to change Brent Spence Bridge project The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber distributed a letter to business leaders and stakeholders from CEO Brendon Cull in June questioning attempts to significantly alter the design of the Brent Spence Bridge project and suggesting major changes would be expensive and unwieldy. Bridge Forward, the leading group trying to rework the design, said the chamber was prepared to "squander" an opportunity to make major improvements to a project likely to last a century. In the June 29 letter, Cull does not specifically name groups who are actively involved but separately trying to change the existing plan. One is Bridge Forward, which favors a new companion bridge but wants the Ohio-side highway design changed to open up more land west of downtown. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/07/31/chamber-questions-attempts-to-change-brent-spence.html Pretty shameful of the chamber here. This feels like a personal vendetta. The chamber should be promoting the option that will benefit the region. Choosing the cheapest, most destructive option does nothing to help the region outside of temporary construction jobs. Bridge Forward has stated they would never want this project jeopardized, but want it to serve as a development opportunity and shorten the span to “reconnect” both sides of the highway. Which would bring in tons of tax dollars and add new space for residents, businesses or visitors. Also, Bridge Forward falls right into what the Biden admin wants an infrastructure project to do (reconnect communities). Now is there risk of the funding being pulled if Biden loses in 2024? Sure, but that’s not worth discussing right now.
August 1, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, 10albersa said: Pretty shameful of the chamber here. This feels like a personal vendetta. The chamber should be promoting the option that will benefit the region. The Chamber's position is to get the bridge built as quick and efficiently as possible. They are not against Bridge Forward, they are against some of the other groups who are protesting the bridge, but as the article stated, they are not necessarily against the Bridge Forward project as long as it does not add significantly to the cost and timeline. If the Bridge Forward project is funded AND does not add additional years to the completion of the project, then I do not think the Chamber has an issue with what Bridge Forward is proposing, however, if the cost is significantly more and prevents the project from being completed within the projected timeline, then that is where the Chamber takes issue. I think the article did a good job to clarify that they were not necessarily against Bridge Forward but were certainly against some of the other groups looking to stop or change the development of the new bridge. However, they do have concerns with Bridge Forward so they do not fully endorse the proposal.
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