The United States has a bridge problem that has been building for decades, and federal investment under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is now translating into real construction activity. With more than 42,000 bridges classified as structurally deficient nationally and at least 221,800 bridges requiring major repair or replacement, according to construction industry analysis, the federal government committed $40 billion over five years for bridge work through the IIJA. Two of the country's most watched projects have now moved beyond planning into active construction—and a broader pipeline of billion-dollar bridge replacements is advancing across the country.

Brent Spence Bridge Corridor: Construction Underway

After nearly two decades of planning, the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project broke ground in spring 2026. The $4.05 billion initiative spans eight miles of Interstate 71 and I-75 between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky—one of the most heavily trafficked freight corridors in the eastern United States, carrying over 160,000 vehicles per day.

The project is anchored by the construction of a new companion bridge to the immediate west of the existing Brent Spence Bridge, which dates to 1963. The new bridge will carry interstate through-traffic, while the existing structure will be rehabilitated to serve local traffic between downtown Cincinnati and Covington. The work also includes roadway improvements across the full eight-mile corridor and new pedestrian and bike infrastructure.

Walsh Kokosing was awarded the design-build contract covering six of the corridor's eight miles, including five miles in Kentucky and one mile in Ohio, per the project's official timeline. The new companion bridge is expected to be completed by 2031, with approach work substantially finished by 2033. At peak, construction is expected to employ approximately 1,000 skilled tradespeople, generating an estimated 6 million hours of work, according to ConstructConnect.

The project is funded through a combination of $1.635 billion in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants and state revenues shared by Kentucky and Ohio. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear emphasized that the project will be completed without tolls. Kentucky's share alone is $1.7 billion.

Early construction activities in Kentucky include ramp adjustments in Covington, sewer and waterline relocation, and tree clearing, with Ohio crews establishing temporary ramps and connections to maintain access during phased construction. Preparatory work included demolishing the ARTIMIS building—an obstacle that had stood since 1995—to clear space for the new companion bridge approaches.

I-5 Interstate Bridge Replacement: $7.65 Billion Across the Columbia River

On the West Coast, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program—replacing the century-old I-5 crossing between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington—received a significant milestone in January 2026 when the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed it will allow a fixed-span replacement bridge at 116 feet of vertical navigation clearance, resolving a long-standing design dispute that had delayed the project for years, per the program's official site.

Oregon and Washington announced in March 2026 that the project's updated cost estimate is $7.65 billion, with the full I-5 corridor and bridge replacement program potentially reaching $14.4 billion, according to KVAL News. The states currently have $5.5 billion in available state and federal funding and are pursuing an additional $1 billion from the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant program to cover the gap.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson confirmed that construction will start in 2028, with the core initial phase including replacement fixed-span bridges (northbound and southbound), I-5 connection improvements, and a light rail extension from Portland into Vancouver. The Columbia River Bridge construction alone is estimated at $1 to $1.5 billion, with a four-to-six year construction duration using a Progressive Design-Build delivery model managed by WSDOT, per the program's September 2025 project details.

The Broader Bridge Construction Pipeline

These two megaprojects are the most prominent examples of a national bridge construction wave. The FHWA's Bridge Investment Program (BIP) has made $9.62 billion available for fiscal years 2023 through 2026 for competitive bridge project grants, with large bridge grants available for projects with total eligible costs exceeding $100 million, per FHWA. Additional formula funding through the Bridge Formula Program has provided over $21.2 billion to states since IIJA was enacted.

Among other major bridge projects advancing in 2026:

• South Carolina – US 278 / Mackay and Skull Creek Bridges: A $311.6 million bridge replacement project in Beaufort County, consolidating two aging structures into one modern span. Engineering and environmental review are progressing through 2026, with construction slated for 2028.
• Bradenton, Florida – Manatee River Bridge: A $172.8 million replacement bridge with construction expected to begin in 2027 and continue for approximately three years.
• Bridgeport, Connecticut – Congress Street Bridge: A $57.6 million city-led project to replace a demolished bridge linking downtown Bridgeport and its East Side, with federal and state funding confirmed and solicitations expected before construction begins in 2027.
• Detroit, Michigan – I-375 Community Reconnection: A $104 million INFRA-funded project transforming an urban freeway section into a slower-speed boulevard while removing 15 old bridges, reconnecting historically Black neighborhoods to downtown Detroit, per the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Project Delivery and Workforce Considerations

Large bridge projects present distinctive construction management demands. Work over active waterways or navigable channels requires Coast Guard coordination and often involves temporary bridge structures or causeways. Phased construction to maintain traffic flow adds coordination complexity and cost. The trend toward Progressive Design-Build delivery—used on the I-5 program—allows owner agencies to engage contractors earlier in the design process, reducing scope uncertainty and enabling better risk allocation.

Labor demand on major bridge projects is significant. Peak employment on the Brent Spence corridor is expected to reach 1,000 tradespeople, and the broader pipeline of concurrent projects across Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, Connecticut, and Michigan will compete for the same skilled craft workers—including ironworkers, operating engineers, concrete finishers, and heavy equipment operators. Firms bidding this work should plan workforce and equipment strategies well in advance of solicitation dates.

Looking Ahead

The bridge construction wave will continue well beyond the IIJA's September 2026 authorization expiration, as projects already awarded and under contract proceed on multi-year schedules. However, the reauthorization of federal surface transportation funding will determine whether the next generation of large bridge projects can advance into design and procurement without interruption. For the industry, the current cycle—anchored by landmark projects like Brent Spence and the Columbia River crossing—represents the most active period of bridge construction investment in a generation.

Sources:
- Brent Spence Bridge Corridor: Official Project Timeline
- ConstructConnect: Brent Spence Corridor Project Set to Begin Construction
- Interstate Bridge Replacement Program: Official Site
- KVAL News: I-5 Bridge Replacement Cost Estimate $7.65B
- Interstate Bridge Replacement Program: Project Details September 2025
- Federal Highway Administration: Bridge Investment Program
- U.S. Department of Transportation: IIJA-Funded Infrastructure Projects
- LinkedIn Construction Analysis: Billion-Dollar Bridge Projects Launch in 2026