Announcement planned for new North Kentucky bridge

Updated: Thu 10:18 AM, Dec 13, 2012

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The governors of Kentucky and Ohio are scheduled to join with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in Covington for an announcement regarding funding for a new Ohio River bridge linking the two states.

A news release says the officials will announce a study on the $2.4 billion plan to replace the Brent Spence Bridge, which links downtown Cincinnati and Covington. The Interstate 75 bridge is considered functionally obsolete and over capacity for traffic.

President Barack Obama visited the half-century-old double-decker bridge last year, using it as a backdrop for a speech pressing for infrastructure improvements.

Obama proclaimed the bridge needed to be replaced, and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said the two had a follow-up discussion in July in which the president indicated he wanted to get the project going.

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