A timeline for bridge construction on a better, safer connection between Covington and Newport was announced Tuesday by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The schedule for the KY 8 Licking River Bridge is rooted in safety for all road users – motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as delivering a new bridge even faster.
The KY 8 Licking River Bridge will be demolished in Spring 2026 to make way for the construction of a new crossing. Construction is expected to last approximately two-and-a-half years with the bridge reopening to traffic by Summer 2028. The project is expected to be completed as early as Fall 2028. Utility coordination is expected to begin in late 2025.
The original intent was to construct the bridge in two phases, allowing for pedestrians and bicyclists to access the bridge crossing during construction. After further review from the Project Team, and input from citizens and city leaders, the decision to demolish the bridge was made with safety as the driving force.
“The complete closure of the bridge crossing will ensure pedestrians and bicyclists are not located near an active work zone,” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Chief District Engineer Bob Yeager said. “Additionally, closing the bridge is expected to save approximately one year off the construction timeline. Expediting the reopening of this vital bridge crossing is a priority.”
The closure of this bridge crossing in Spring 2026 will require a detour for motorists and a shuttle service for pedestrians and bicyclists in the West Newport and East Covington neighborhoods.
Vehicular detour
Motorists will detour using the Girl Scout Bridge — KY 1120/11th Street — between Newport and Covington. This detour adds approximately five minutes to a motorist’s commute.
Motorists should note that the Roebling Suspension Bridge has a reduced weight limit and will not be a detour option for vehicles exceeding that weight limit.
Shuttle service to maintain connectivity
KYTC realizes the critical connection the bridge provides for pedestrians and bicyclists and is working with the Design-Build Team to ensure accommodations for safe passage for those users during construction.
The shuttle service is intended to provide a viable transportation option for those who are without a vehicle living in the east Covington and west Newport neighborhoods. This service will focus on providing a connection to basic and essential needs for these commuters – like daycare, employment and groceries. The shuttle service will provide accommodations for wheelchairs and bicycles.
The shuttle service plan is being developed in collaboration with the cities of Covington and Newport. In addition to this collaboration, KYTC conducted several studies to determine when, and how, the bridge is used by pedestrians and bicyclists. This input, along with the city collaboration, provided valuable data on effective stop locations and the frequency of stops needed to accommodate the shuttle.
The shuttle service will operate for the duration of the bridge closure (Spring 2026 through Summer 2028). More information about the shuttle service will be provided in the coming months.
Signature design update
The arch bridge design was selected in December 2023. Over the past 18 months, the Design-Build Team of PCL/Stantec/Rosales, contracted by KYTC, has refined the technical design of the bridge, and engaged with community leaders and historic representatives in Covington and Newport. The project team has also made improvements to the design for the Fourth and Garrard Street intersection and modified the pedestrian/bicyclist connections near the bridge crossing.
The 12-foot wide shared-use paths located on both sides of the bridge will be separated from vehicular traffic. These paths, located within the footprint of the bridge arches, will offer sweeping views of the Cincinnati skyline while seamlessly connecting into a larger trail network in Covington and Newport. These paths will provide an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant structure.
KYTC will continue to work with the local community leaders to identify additional aesthetic and functional features to include in the project, such as aesthetic lighting and landscaping.
Commitment to safety for all
The shared-use paths will connect into a recently completed roadway reconfiguration on Covington’s Fourth Street (KY 8). The newly resurfaced road was reduced from three vehicular lanes to two, with a dedicated lane for bicyclists. Additionally, the lanes of vehicular travel were reduced in width from 12 feet to 11 feet, a proven traffic calming technique to improve safety on the high traffic corridor.
That same traffic calming technique will be used on the KY 8 Licking River Bridge, which will feature two lanes in each direction of travel that are each 11 feet wide. This will slow down traffic, and improve safety for all road users.
“In this case, we also worked closely with city leadership from Covington and Newport to ensure connectivity with current and future walking and bicycle paths,” Yeager said.
In addition to providing a safe, visually appealing crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists, the bridge will have updated weight limits, allowing the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) to operate local and express bus routes on the bridge, improving the vital connection for public transit users.
Next steps
The Design-Build Team will continue to refine the overall design and engage with community leaders and historic representatives in Covington and Newport. KYTC will provide further updates about the Fourth and Garrard intersection improvements, and other shuttle service details in the coming months.
A final cost for the bridge has yet to be determined and is dependent on further design refinement by the Design-Build Team.
More details about the Design Selection and the KY 8 Licking River Bridge Project can be found at KY8Bridge.org.
Project background
The KY 8 Licking River Bridge is a critical connection for commuters, pedestrians, bicyclists and freight traveling between Covington and Newport. Built in 1936, the current bridge has exceeded its original design life and requires significant updates to meet the capacity and connectivity demands of the surrounding communities, including the crossing of TANK buses, which currently exceed the weight limit and must use alternate crossings. With development occurring in Covington and Newport, a replacement bridge is necessary to support the growing needs of all travelers using the KY 8 Licking River Bridge crossing.
With the primary goal of providing a safe and efficient crossing for drivers, public transport, pedestrians and bicyclists that will serve the community for decades to come, KYTC began the KY 8 Licking River Bridge Replacement Project with a planning study conducted in 2016. The project team developed four preliminary signature design concepts in July 2023 using input gathered at multiple public meetings, an online survey in 2021 and discussions with a project aesthetics committee made up of community leaders and historic district representatives from both Covington and Newport. The arch concept was selected in late 2023.
The design accommodates four lanes of traffic, based on recommendations from a 2016 planning study. That study found that while three lanes would suffice for the existing traffic at that time, any additional development in Newport or Covington may require four lanes to accommodate the additional traffic. Since that time, the Ovation site has been developed and a 264-room Margaritaville Resort will be built in Newport. In addition, Covington has begun work to develop the previous IRS site and announced the addition of the OneNKY Center, a 45,000-square-foot office building to be built at the foot of the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. New restaurants, music venues like Ovation’s 7,000-person concert space, office space and other attractions bring more traffic to the area, necessitating additional capacity to support efficient traffic flow.
Equally important, a four-lane bridge allows flexibility for future transportation uses as the vehicular and mass-transit needs of the surrounding communities develop and evolve.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet