COVINGTON, Ky. — Major interstate ramp closures and detours are coming to the Covington area beginning May 20 as construction crews advance on the transformational Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, according to a notice from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

The first closures begin Wednesday, May 20, at 7 a.m., when the Interstate 71/75 southbound on-ramp from Bullock Avenue will shut down for construction. Bullock Avenue itself will close between Pike Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, with no access to West 12th Street. Simon Kenton Way will be converted to two-way traffic during this phase.

Motorists will be directed to detour via Pike Street/Dixie Highway (U.S. 25) to Kyles Lane (KY 1072) before accessing I-71/75 southbound. West 12th Street access from Pike Street will be maintained through a new temporary traffic signal at Hermes Avenue. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet expects the southbound on-ramp and Bullock Avenue to reopen in late October 2026, though 12th Street access from Bullock will remain closed through the entire project.

The same day, the I-71/75 northbound exit 191 ramp to 12th Street and Pike Street will also close for construction. Traffic will detour via the 5th Street exit, with a complicated route requiring drivers to navigate through downtown streets before rejoining Pike Street.

On or after May 26, a permanent closure will affect the southbound I-71/75 exit 192 ramp to West 5th Street. Traffic will be rerouted to the Crescent Avenue exit.

The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project represents one of the nation's most significant infrastructure undertakings. The $4.4 billion project spans eight miles of I-71/75 across Ohio and Kentucky, with construction addressing long-standing safety and congestion issues on the aging bridge.

The project, overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, will construct a new double-deck companion bridge west of the existing 1963-era Brent Spence Bridge to carry through traffic. The existing bridge will be converted to carry local traffic between Cincinnati and Covington. The design separates regional and local travel to improve safety while reducing congestion.

The bridge originally opened in 1963 designed to carry 80,000 vehicles per day, but currently handles nearly double that capacity. Additional improvements will include new pedestrian and bicycle connections and redesigned ramp configurations throughout the corridor.

The new bridge is expected to open in 2031, with full project completion in 2033. Drivers are advised to check project updates regularly at brentspencebridgecorridor.com and sign up for traffic alerts before traveling through the corridor.