Boone County commuters heading into Cincinnati will lose a lane on the Brent Spence Bridge five nights next week as crews tear down the old Second Street exit ramp.

Starting at 11 p.m. Aug. 10, the right lane of the northbound bridge will close between the Kentucky side and the former Second Street exit, according to the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project. The closure will repeat nightly through Aug. 14, with the lane reopening by 5 a.m. each morning.

The work is part of the $4.05 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, which broke ground May 8 and is reshaping the I-71/I-75 interchange system between Northern Kentucky and downtown Cincinnati.

What's being demolished

The Second Street ramp (Exit 1A) was permanently shut down the evening of July 15 as part of the corridor overhaul. Drivers who used that exit are being detoured to Fifth Street (Exit 1C) and Race Street. The ramp is expected to remain closed until fall 2028, according to WKRC/Local 12, citing ODOT.

Now crews will demolish the ramp structure. That work requires the nightly right-lane closure on the bridge deck.

Who's affected

The closures run from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., timed to avoid peak commuter hours. Florence, Union, Hebron and Burlington residents who drive northbound on I-75 into Ohio during late-night or early-morning hours will encounter the single-lane restriction on the bridge.

WLWT reported that "traffic on Interstate 75 northbound isn't expected to be impacted by the construction," specifying the closure as affecting the I-71 northbound lane. Because I-71 and I-75 run concurrently across the Brent Spence Bridge, the distinction refers to lane positioning rather than separate roadways. Drivers in the right lane approaching the former exit should expect to merge left.

Bigger picture

The corridor project includes a new companion bridge, redesigned interchanges and ramps, and new pedestrian and bicycle connections. Kentucky's draft four-year transportation spending plan, currently open for public comment through Aug. 30, lists the project as a Northern Kentucky megaproject affecting freight and commuter traffic through Florence and Hebron.

The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project maintains a travel updates page with current closure information for commuters.