Northbound I-71 traffic from Northern Kentucky will be rerouted via I-275 and I-471 for about 18 months beginning in spring 2027 while crews rebuild connections to Fort Washington Way.

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) project manager Tommy Arnold and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) official Stacee Hans gave the update on the $4.05 billion Brent Spence Companion Bridge project. Both said construction is on schedule.

"Northbound I-71 to Fort Washington Way is going to be rerouted to 275/471 for about 18 months … so there's lots of ways to get around," Arnold said, according to WCPO.

No exact start date for the I-71 detour has been set.

Hans said the Covington 12th Street ramp to I-71/I-75 northbound, closed since May 20, could reopen before the end of 2026. That timeline is more optimistic than a Kenton County government notice updated Aug. 17, which listed the expected reopening of Exit 191 as summer 2027.

The county notice also confirmed the Simon Kenton Way entrance to the Kenton County Government Center closed Aug. 18 and will remain closed until spring 2027. Pike Street is the only access point during that time.

On the construction side, foundation work is underway on the Ohio and Kentucky sides of the river. In Northern Kentucky, crews are building retaining walls on the west side of the corridor to stabilize the hillside and connect the new bridge to the existing highway, according to a Sept. 30 project construction update. Along the Ohio River, workers are building the Pete Rose Pier as a construction dock, and the first Kentucky-side pylon is expected to begin soon.

The existing Brent Spence Bridge, built in 1963, was designed for about 80,000 vehicles per day. It now carries roughly 160,000. The companion bridge is set to open in 2031, with all connections expected to be substantially complete by 2033.

Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) buses cross the Brent Spence Bridge nearly 200 times each day, according to TANK General Manager Gina Douthat. At the project's May 8 groundbreaking, Douthat encouraged NKY commuters to consider transit during construction: "It's a great time for NKY commuters to try transit and leave the driving to us."

Construction updates are posted on the project website.