Work has commenced on the $4.05bn Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, following a groundbreaking ceremony near the Ohio River attended by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and a group of local and federal officials.

The project will include the construction of a new cable-stayed bridge next to the existing Brent Spence Bridge, which carries traffic over the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky.

In addition to the new structure, the project will overhaul connections to the current bridge in both states.

These works include improvements to more than 30 overpasses and underpasses in Ohio, and approximately a dozen in Kentucky.

The corridor, a section of Interstate 71/75, plays a significant role in freight movement, handling over $1bn in goods each day.

The Brent Spence Bridge, first opened in 1963, has seen traffic volumes far exceed its design capacity in recent decades.

In 1985, officials modified the bridge to add a fourth lane in each direction by removing emergency shoulders and reducing lane widths, which affected safety and led to increased congestion when incidents occurred.

The current phase will deliver a new bridge dedicated to interstate and freight traffic, while the existing bridge will be updated for local traffic.

Planned changes include the restoration of emergency shoulders, new ramp configurations, and the introduction of pedestrian and bicycle paths to improve local connectivity. The corridor improvements will span eight miles through both Ohio and Kentucky.

Federal grants totalling $1.63bn have been allocated to the project, making it one of the largest grants of its kind for transportation infrastructure in the country.

Governor DeWine said: “Today, after decades of planning and preparation, we are finally breaking ground on a solution to the traffic headaches and interstate commerce delays caused by the overcrowded Brent Spence Bridge.

“This new companion bridge will make our roads safer and our economy stronger, while demonstrating what's possible when states and the federal government work together to solve our biggest challenges.”

Last month, the Ohio Department of Transportation, the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County started construction on the I-90 Central Interchange project after holding a groundbreaking ceremony.