Brent Spence Bridge Corridor April 30, 2024 eNewsletter |
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PROJECT TEAM WORKS TO SUSTAIN MUSSELS |
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Some of them go by the names of Ohio pigtoe, elephantear or wartyback. Despite monikers worthy of recording artists, freshwater mussels in the Ohio River near the Brent Spence Bridge live a low-key life. Some Ohio species have been known to live as long as 60 years, but can be so unassuming that they are often mistaken for small rocks. |
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Nonetheless, mussels play an important role in the river’s ecosystem, filtering microscopic organisms and debris from the water. A single mussel can clean up to 15 gallons a day. All native mussels are protected in Ohio, and project planners are working to avoid and minimize impacts to these species as much as possible. That’s why the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project team will relocate many of these important organisms away from the project area before construction begins.
According to Megan Michael, an environmental specialist with the Ohio Department of Transportation, as many as 175 or more mussels will be located upstream in the Ohio River east of the project area.
Michael added the relocated mussels will be placed near other mussels in the river, but mussels are not territorial. “There will be no turf wars.”
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SEE-THROUGH NOISE BARRIER
INSTALLATION UNDERWAY
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Sound barriers have been in use in Kentucky for decades, but never like this.
For the first time in the history of the commonwealth, transparent noise barriers are being put to the test. If the prototype being installed along Crescent Avenue in Northern Kentucky is deemed successful, these see-through barriers may be used in several locations within the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project area in Kentucky, which encompasses interstates 71 and 75 between Dixie Highway and the Ohio River.
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Crescent Avenue with Noise Barrier - Kentucky
(Looking South)
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Drivers are unlikely to notice the barriers, according to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Project Engineer Kevin Rust, but those who live near them certainly will.
“For the residents, it’ll be a big deal,” Rust said. “Instead of a 40-foot, solid wall in front of them, they’ll have a clear, unobstructed view of the skyline of Cincinnati.”
Construction on the transparent noise barriers along Crescent Avenue is underway. Around mid-May, H-piles — steel beams shaped like the letter H when viewed from the end — will be placed in each of 64 drilled shafts that are being drilled in the ground to form the foundation of the barriers. Precast concrete retaining walls will be installed in June, and the installation of the Acrylite Soundstop barriers will begin in July. The installation is set to be completed by Oct. 15.
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MEET THE DESIGN-BUILD TEAM VIDEO SERIES |
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This month we’re continuing to introduce members of the Walsh Kokosing Design-Build team managing the design and construction of the largest portion ($2.7 billion) of the total $3.6 billion project.
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Joel Halterman is excited to be back doing what he loves most as the Walsh Kokosing Design-Build Team’s bridge construction superintendent on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) Project. “I fell in love with bridges, really ever since the first major bridge project that I was on. The challenges that come with them, the pride that you have after the project is done, to see that really impressive, massive structure that’s there for the whole community…that’s really what keeps me interested in bridge work.” |
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Katherine Bucek is serving as Walsh Kokosing’s design-build coordinator for the River Crossing on the BSBC Project, a role in which she will have a hand in designing the new companion bridge that will carry traffic on Interstate 71/75 between Ohio and Kentucky. A native of Paris, Kentucky, she has long had her sights set on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor (BSBC) Project. |
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OHIO CIVIL RIGHTS TRANSPORTATION
SYMPOSIUM HELD APRIL 9 & 10
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The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project was featured in a workshop on day one of the 6th Biennial Ohio Civil Rights Transportation Symposium. Attendees were able to get connected with and stay up to date on this $3.6 billion project. The Symposium was held April 9 and 10, 2024 in Newark, Ohio. The objective of this year’s symposium was to provide attendees greater insight regarding the changing landscape of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) programs across the country, including the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program.
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Stretching from the Western Hills Viaduct in Ohio to Dixie Highway in Kentucky, the $3.6 billion project will be built without tolls and transform an eight-mile portion of the I-71/75 interstate corridor, including a companion bridge immediately to the west of the existing bridge. More information about the project is available at BrentSpenceBridgeCorridor.com. A video outlining last year’s progress can be viewed here.
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There are several ways to stay connected with the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project. |
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© 2022 Brent Spence Bridge Corridor. All Rights Reserved. |
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