The
Brent Spence Bridge opened in 1963 as the Ohio River crossing
for I-75, the first of four bridges in the Cincinnati area built
as part of the Interstate Highway System. The bridge is a typical
example of the cantilever truss design, with a main span of
830.5 ft. and two approach spans each measuring 453ft. It was
originally built with 6 lanes divided between two 3 lane decks,
however the emergency shoulders were eliminated in 1986 and
the decks rebuilt with 4 lanes each. Traffic has overwhelmed
the bridge for decades and planning is currently underway for
its replacement, which will be built sometime after 2010, and
is estimated to cost as much as $500 million.