Dive Temporary:
- A brand new federal lawsuit questions the environmental affect of the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Hall challenge connecting Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
- 4 Cincinnati-area teams filed a 34-page lawsuit on Oct. 16 that names six defendants, together with the DOT, the Federal Freeway Administration, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Ohio and Kentucky transportation officers.
- The swimsuit alleges that transportation officers did not sufficiently research the environmental features of the challenge, nor its affect on surrounding communities, that are residence to primarily non-White residents. It additionally says the design would not do sufficient to incorporate different modes to automotive journey reminiscent of strolling, biking and transit.
Dive Perception:
The challenge has grow to be one thing of an emblem of the federal Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act. President Joe Biden visited in 2023 and known as consideration to its standing as one of many nation’s most congested freight routes and a weak hyperlink within the provide chain.
Per the swimsuit, planners accomplished an environmental evaluation and issued a Discovering of No Important Impression in 2012. Planners reaffirmed the FONSI in 2015, 2018 and once more in Could. In January, additionally they launched a Supplemental Environmental Evaluation after which in Could, a Revised Supplemental Environmental Evaluation, indicating that the businesses didn’t see the necessity for extra in depth environmental research. Nonetheless, the RSEA does word that the challenge will affect wetlands, forest habitat, water high quality and extra.
Plaintiffs are the Better Cincinnati Coalition for Transit and Sustainable Growth, Civic Cincinnati, Trip the Cov and Queen Metropolis Bike, all teams that promote environmentally pleasant alternate options to automotive journey. The teams say that the challenge approval is illegal as a result of its impacts weren’t sufficiently studied and mitigated.
“By refusing to acknowledge that the Challenge may have important impacts on the human atmosphere, Defendants have arbitrarily and capriciously refused to arrange an EIS, which might require them to meaningfully think about cheap alternate options,” the swimsuit stated, reminiscent of larger funding in transit and charging tolls to scale back demand.
In response, Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Grey, one of many defendants, stated in an electronic mail, “A precedence of the Brent Spence Bridge Hall Challenge is to supply an inclusive course of that enhances surrounding communities whereas delivering a challenge that may convey safer, much less congested journey and job alternatives to the area. We’re conscious of the submitting in opposition to federal and state businesses. No additional particulars might be shared at the moment because of pending litigation.”
Different events named within the swimsuit both didn’t reply to Development Dive’s request for remark or declined because of pending litigation.
A large challenge
The Brent Spence Bridge is an eight-lane double-deck span carrying I-71 and I-75 in addition to native site visitors over the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky. The challenge entails constructing a 10-lane companion bridge and rehabilitating the present one. The brand new bridge will carry I-71 and I-75 site visitors, and native drivers will use the present span, which can be decreased to 6 lanes.
The challenge was permitted in 2022 with a $1.6 billion grant from the IIJA, and development is scheduled to begin early subsequent 12 months. Different prices can be break up by Ohio and Kentucky, with every paying for the strategy work of their respective states, in keeping with the challenge web site.
A three way partnership of Chicago-based Walsh Development and Westerville, Ohio-headquartered Kokosing Development is ready to construct the brand new span, whereas Dallas-based Jacobs will present design and engineering providers. AECOM, additionally based mostly in Dallas, is the lead designer.
Will probably be in-built phases and is scheduled to be full by 2032, per the challenge web site.
