Brent Spence Bridge through the years

Authored by Sherman Cahal on May 4, 2009 at Bridges & Tunnels

 

The Brent Spence Bridge carries Interstates 71 and 75 across the Ohio River, connecting Covington, Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio. First envisioned in the 1950s as a modern river crossing connecting Cincinnati to Kentucky. In April 1956, a site in West Covington near the mouth of Willow Creek was chosen for a bridge site, after Covington, Cincinnati and state highway officials came to an agreement on the location. Another alignment was proposed but dismissed parallel to the Cincinnati Southern Railroad Bridge in Ludlow.

 

The Brent Spence Bridge Kentucky approach soon after the highway opened. Note the missing Interstate 71 shield; Interstate 71 would not be completed in Kentucky until 1970.

 

The original median along Interstate 75 was curbed with a graveled centerline.

 

The proposed bridge would have a minimum of six-lanes, three in each direction, and would either be a suspension bridge or cantilever, and either a single or duel layer. A duel layer cantilever bridge was later chosen, and design work was completed in 1959. Actual construction of the bridge began in January 1961, opening to traffic on November 25, 1963.

 

In 1970, Interstate 71 was completed between Louisville and Interstate 75, and the highway was co-signed along with Interstate 75 over the Ohio River. Tremendous suburban residential growth to the south and north of Cincinnati, coupled with multitudes of commercial and industrial development put an intense strain on the Brent Spence Bridge. In 1986, the bridge approaches were widened to three-lanes and the shoulder on the bridge was eliminated to provide four through-lanes to alleviate severe congestion leading up and on the span as part of the "Death Hill" reconstruction project.

 

A guardrail was soon added to the unprotected median.

 

By 1978, the curbed median had been replaced with a jersey barrier.

 

The Brent Spence Bridge approach being widened in Kentucky.

 

See Bridges & Tunnel's newest blog post, Brent Spence Bridge through the years, for the remainder of the entry, and be sure to check out the Brent Spence Bridge article for more historical information and photographs.

Thanks Sherman.  I love stuff like this, and I love seeing old photos of the interstate system in it's infancy.  It's interesting. 

I too enjoy seeing these.

Ewww.

I do enjoy how big "Downtown Cincinnati" is plastered all over that one interstate sign.  I'm with CDM on the rest of 'em though.

Here are some gems from another site!  Jack Klumpe seemed to be a prolific construction photog.  Notice #1, 5 and 6 how the piers on the KY approach show no overhang during initial construction for anticipated widening but #8 does.  I would be curious as to a timeline of these and how the widened piers came about. Were the piers built wider in anticipation or vice-versa?

 

 

 

Congressman Spence standing on his bridge.  It would never look like this again. Classic!

 

 

UC.  Notice the extra pier still present for the old C&O

 

 

 

Jefferson Street Exit

 

A big construction photo...

The awful losses of the Kenyon-Barr neighborhood and the greater Cincy West End area during the construction of I-75 have always been well documented.  These photos show just what kind of hit Covington took.  Their losses may be larger proportionally that even those in Cincy.  Look at the beautiful church that sat where there is now a Super-America gas station at Philadelphia and fourth street....a  result of the whole block being torn down when the round hotel was constructed.  The planned second twin tower was never realized.

Just tonight I talked to the lead engineer with Parsons-Brinkerhoff regarding the new bridge, and he stated that the Brent Spence was originally two lanes per deck with duel emergency shoulders.  I knew he was wrong, and these photos confirm that, but I didn't correct him. 

I could not even imagine two lanes, even for 1963.

Impressive look back. 

Sherman...please know I wasn't trying to outdo your post.

 

The awful losses of the Kenyon-Barr neighborhood and the greater Cincy West End area during the construction of I-75 have always been well documented.  These photos show just what kind of hit Covington took.  Their losses may be larger proportionally that even those in Cincy.  Look at the beautiful church that sat where there is now a Super-America gas station at Philadelphia and fourth street....a  result of the whole block being torn down when the round hotel was constructed.  The planned second twin tower was never realized.

It seems that Cincy's losses are worse.  I'd have to look closer but the KY approach for BSB was built in the same ROW for Willow Run thus limiting some/much of the destruction.  Nothing like the West End.  The Jefferson Avenue interchange was a disaster.  It was dangerous (at bottom of hill with no accel/decel space + sharp curves), redundant (5th and 12th) and superfluous in it's use of space (cloverleaf design).  By my research it was the part that chewed up the most fabric of the city.  North of Jefferson...not so much.

 

The church is either St Patrick or St. Aloysius.  I think it is St. P.  Why?  St. A was at 7th and Bakewell and it burned in either November, 1981 or 1985.  I haven't been able to find which date is correct. Can anybody help confirm the date and what church that is?  It is facing Philadelphia Street.

 

Oh no, it's been much appreciated! :)

 

The Jefferson Avenue interchange was a very poor design. While traffic did not have to stop due to the partial-cloverleaf design, it required weaving that posed issues at the base of a steep, 6% grade and a curve. It introduced geometric deficiencies and poor sight-distances, and it had a high accident rate. It was eliminated when the Cut-in-the-Hill was reconstructed, with the new seven-lane highway using part of the old interchange right-of-way.

There is a treasure trove of CITH/BSB and I-75 pics further south from the 60's 70's and 80's on the Kenton County Library website.  Good ones of 75/275 jct.  Kyle's Lane Exit.  Mall Road.  Even an aerial of the 71/75 Split in southern Boone during construction.

 

http://www.kentonlibrary.org/genphotos/

awesome collection of vintage pics -- thanks for digging these up.