CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • April 2, 2011 • Page 23
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www.ruddequipment.com COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) Officials in Covington are trying to persuade federal transportation officials to maintain easy access to the city’s riverfront in design plans for a new $2.3 billion bridge over the Ohio River. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Ohio Department of Transportation have narrowed designs for the new Brent Spence Bridge to two. The Kentucky Enquirer reported the more likely alternative handles traffic better, but it doesn’t include the access to Covington that city officials want. In that alternative, the southbound Covington exit off Interstate 75 would start near Union Terminal and drivers would take a distributor road into the city. The next exit would be in Fort Wright. The northbound side would have an exit at 12th Street in Covington. Covington wants a main access point off I-75 southbound at Ninth Street and a second ramp from a distributor road to Fifth Street on northbound I-75. Covington City Manager Larry Klein said the city would suffer without adequate access to the riverfront, so he’s gathering support from surrounding communities in an effort to get transportation officials to include more access before design plans are sent to the Federal Highway Administration for approval. “The FHA role, as I understand it, they want to move traffic along the interstate,” Klein said. “Their mission is not to provide good access to Covington, necessarily. Our riverfront economy was built up around the exit ramps they created. For us to come away with anything less than what we already have will diminish it, not just for our city, but for all riverfront cities.” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineer Rob Hans said a final public meeting on the design would likely be held later this year, but the Federal Highway Administration will make the final decision. He said highway officials would study the impact of Covington’s suggestions. Klein said letters and support from a wide range of leaders and residents before and at the public meeting would help the effort. “I think it is important, because we are asking for what is essential going to be an exception to these FHA guidelines, that Northern Kentucky speak with one voice,” Klein said. “That is our purpose going around and getting everyone on the same page.” Newport officials said they shared Covington’s concerns. “The closer the traffic exits off the expressway into downtown Covington, the better it is for the cities to the east — Newport, Bellevue, Dayton,” said Newport Mayor Jerry Peluso. “We know how important 75 is. Those extra two ramps you are proposing is a lifeline to Newport.”
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