Biden touts Ohio River bridge in visit
Project part of federal infrastructure law
COVINGTON, Ky. – President Joe Biden came to the Cincinnati area on Wednesday to tout a long-awaited bridge project that he said proves Americans can still get things done if they work together.
Speaking in Covington, Kentucky, not far from the 60-year-old Brent Spence Bridge, which had for years been a symbol of partisan gridlock, Biden praised Republicans and Democrats in Ohio, Kentucky and Washington for setting aside their differences to fix one of the nation’s most important pieces of infrastructure.
“I believe it sends a message, an important message, to the entire country,” Biden said of the new law that made the bridge project possible. “We can work together. We can get things done. We can move the nation forward.”
As the president spoke, Republicans back in Washington fought fiercely and unsuccessfully to elect a new speaker of the House of Representatives, a sharp contrast to the cooperation Biden praised during his speech in Covington.
The president was joined by several Republicans and Democrats who were instrumental in passing the new, $550 billion federal infrastructure law that made the Brent Spence Bridge project possible. He singled out Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, for his help in gathering enough GOP support to pass the law.
“We have to find common ground,” Biden said.
McConnell agreed, saying that upgrading the Brent Spence Bridge benefits everyone, regardless of their politics. “I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” he said.
For Biden, the visit was something of a victory lap. He vowed during a town hall here in July 2021 to “fix that damn bridge,” despite several failed attempts by his Democratic and Republican predecessors to muster bipartisan support for the project.
Efforts to replace or upgrade the span over the Ohio River finally gained momentum last year when Congress approved the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Though the law had the support of Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and former Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, in the Senate, every Republican House member representing the Cincinnati area voted against it.
The law will provide about $1.6 billion in federal grants to repair the Brent Spence Bridge and build a new bridge adjacent to it. The total cost of the project is expected to run about $3.6 billion, with Ohio and Kentucky providing a mix of state and federal money to cover the rest of the cost.
“After years of politics being so divisive, there are bright spots across the country,” Biden said. “The Brent Spence Bridge is one of them.”
‘We’re finally going to get it fixed’
Before the president spoke, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear praised the work of officials in both states and in Washington for getting the project moving after years of false starts.
“The truth is this bridge cannot be built without these federal dollars,” DeWine said. “We’re rolling. We don’t have too many days to go until we really kick this thing off.”
Portman, who helped negotiate the infrastructure bill, said he’s been working on a Brent Spence Bridge repair or replacement project since he joined Congress in 1993. He called the plan announced Wednesday a “demonstration of great teamwork.”
“We’re finally going to get it fixed, folks,” Portman said.
Portman and Brown, who also joined Biden in Covington on Wednesday, both spoke at length about the importance of bipartisanship in getting the bridge deal done, despite the intense partisan battles raging in Washington.
“This bridge will make life better for people in Ohio and Kentucky,” Brown said.
Why Brent Spence Bridge matters
On the flight to Cincinnati, Biden’s senior adviser for infrastructure, Mitch Landrieu, said the Brent Spence Bridge is one of the most important projects made possible by the new infrastructure law.
“The Brent Spence Bridge is right at the top,” he said. “When you bring Americans together, you can get big things done.”
The Brent Spence Bridge, built in 1963, has been considered functionally obsolete for years, even though it’s crucial to commuters and the nation’s economy. About 160,000 vehicles and $2 billion in freight cross the bridge between Cincinnati and Covington every day.
Biden’s stop in the Cincinnati area is part of a nationwide tour by administration officials to draw attention to projects connected to the $550 billion infrastructure law.
About 300 politicians and leaders from labor unions and local businesses gathered near the Brent Spence Bridge to great Biden and listen to his remarks. The Belle of Cincinnati riverboat idled along the riverbank nearby.
Most said they came to celebrate the project after so many years of trying to come up with the money and a plan. “To see this bridge be something that actually happens ... will be pretty neat,” said Spencer Perella, an iron worker who will help build the new bridge.