A crane barge moored near the Brent Spence Bridge on the Ohio River in Cincinnati veered off its mooring in the early morning hours of September 11 and became entangled with a power line spanning the river. The event triggered a river closure between Mile 471 and 472 on the Ohio River and an inspection of the Duke Energy power line. The crane one of the assets on site as part of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project which got underway earlier this summer.
"Fortunately, there were no injuries," said Matt Bruning, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Transportation. "The Brent Spence Bridge remains open and there is no impact to the project schedule. The project team continues to closely monitor the situation and gather information to determine next steps as safety is a top priority."
John Juech, a Duke Energy spokesperson, also issued a statement shortly after the event took place.
"Duke Energy is working closely with the contractor and relevant local, state, and federal authorities to secure the area, minimize impacts to the public and safely restore service on this critical transmission line as quickly as possible," Juech said. "Safety should be the priority for anyone near this area as we head into the weekend."
The U.S. Coast Guard closed the river in that vicinity as the crane was disentangled from the power line and Duke Energy inspected the line. The river reopened to navigation the morning of September 12.
The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project is a roughly $4 billion effort to transform the I-71/I-75 corridor on both sides of the Ohio River in Cincinnati on the Ohio side and Covington, Ky. The project will add a double-decker bridge spanning the Ohio River alongside the Brent Spence Bridge and rework the lanes on the Brent Spence Bridge. The new bridge is expected to open in 2031, with the entire project wrapping up in 2033.
Work on the project got underway in May. The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Corps of Engineers partnering on a public information campaign with Excell Marine's Elizabeth Ann pushing a crane barge and other construction materials to the construction site. Walsh-Kokosing, a joint venture, is the primary contractor for the project.
