President Biden will announce funding to rebuild some of the nation's most economically significant bridges, during visit to Covington, Kentucky
The President's economic plan is proving that when America invests in ourselves - especially in our infrastructure, clean energy, and high-growth industries that are critical to our economic and national security - we can build a bottom-up and middle-out economy. That means an economy with better jobs and better pay, including jobs that don't require a four-year degree. And it means a more dynamic and more resilient economy, including in communities that are too often forgotten.
Today, during a visit to Brent Spence Bridge in Covington, Kentucky, the President will announce the latest example of how his economic plan is delivering for American families and American communities: more than $2 billion in investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade some of our nation's most economically significant bridges. To mark this announcement:
- The President is visiting Brent Spence Bridge connecting Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio, where he will be joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Sherrod Brown, former Senator Rob Portman, Governor Andy Beshear, and Governor Mike DeWine.
- The Vice President is visiting the bridges crossing the Calumet River in Chicago, Illinois.
- Secretary Buttigieg is visiting the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in New London, Connecticut.
- White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu will visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, where he will join Speaker Pelosi.
These major bridge investments are a symbol that we can still do big things when we do them together.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $40 billion to repair and rebuild the nation's bridges – the single largest dedicated investment in bridges since the construction of the Eisenhower-era Interstate Highway System. It will help repair or rebuild ten of the most economically significant bridges in the country along with over 15,000 additional bridges nationwide. The vast majority of the projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are covered by Davis-Bacon requirements, meaning the construction workers who build the projects will receive good pay and benefits.
Bridges represent more than just their physical structures-they connect people and communities and make it easier to go about our daily lives. In addition to getting people where they need to go, bridges are critical to ensuring the nation's commerce can flow freely, getting goods from ships to shelves quickly, reliably, and safely to their destinations. Modern bridges are critical for first responders to get to calls more quickly, more reliable shipments for businesses, and less expensive goods for families. Approximately 43,000 bridges nationwide are currently rated in poor condition, which could include requiring weight restrictions and closures of bridges large and small.
Today's announcement of the first year of Large Bridge Project Grants from the infrastructure law's Bridge Investment Program are for bridges with a total cost of more than $100 million. The four economically-significant bridges include:
- In Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, grant funds will upgrade the existing Brent Spence Bridge and build a new bridge dedicated to interstate drivers to improve traffic along I-71/I-75, a critical freight route from Canada to Florida.
- In Chicago, Illinois, grant funds will help rehabilitate four moveable bridges crossing the Calumet River that are critical for marine traffic to and from the Illinois International Port and surrounding industry.
- In New London, Connecticut, grant funds will rebuild the northbound structure of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge which brings I-95 over the Thames River, a vital connection on the I-95 corridor for people and goods traveling between New York and New England.
- In San Francisco, grant funds will replace, retrofit and install critical structural elements on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to increase resiliency against earthquakes. The Golden Gate Bridge is vital to an estimated 37 million vehicles crossing the bridge per year, including 555,000 freight trucks, as well as waterborne commerce through the Golden Gate Strait connected to the Port of Oakland.
Across the country, the President's economic plan is leading to billions of dollars in private sector investment. Communities across Kentucky and Ohio that were hollowed out due to outsourcing are once again regaining manufacturing jobs - including in new industries of the future like clean energy and the digital economy - and seeing major investments in infrastructure. For example:
- BlueOval SK Battery Park: Last month in Glendale, Kentucky, Ford and SK On broke ground on a $5.8 billion battery manufacturing campus that will power the next generation of Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles. The battery park will create 5,000 jobs and partner with Elizabethtown Community and Technical College to train local workers for the jobs of the future.
- Ascend Elements: In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Ascend Elements is building a $1 billion facility to produce battery materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries, aided by $480 million in funding from the Department of Energy. Ascend will produce enough material to power 250,000 electric vehicles annually, helping break dependence on China for critical materials and strengthen U.S. supply chains.
