KENTUCKY — Thanks to federal and statewide funding, right now there are multiple initiatives and regional projects happening across the state to improve major roads and bridges. 

On this episode, we’ll update you on Western Kentucky’s I-69 Ohio River Crossing, the Mountain Parkway expansion in Eastern Kentucky and the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project in Northern Kentucky.

During this segment, Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said Kentucky, in partnership with Ohio, submitted the application for the first round of funding for the Brent Spence Bridge with over 200 letters of support from lawmakers, government officials, and the private sector.

"The bridge spans the number two truck bottleneck in the country, an incredibly important corridor. And that's why we're putting so much effort into getting this project done more than a quarter of a century, it has been overtaxed. The current bridge was designed to allow for 80,000 vehicles a day across. It's now carrying 160,000. Double what it was designed to carry," explains Sec. Gray.

Current planning and traffic analysis indicates that additional capacity is needed to support safer travel for drivers who use I-71/75 to cross the Ohio River. Long-term use of the Brent Spence Bridge, as well as a new companion structure, would allow for the separation of local and through traffic. This separation would improve safety and support better access to the Covington and Cincinnati business districts.

You can watch the full In Focus segment in the player above.