With the Biden administration in the throes of pushing its massive infrastructure plan through Congress, the troubled bridge is one reason political experts said Biden might have chosen Cincinnati for his town hall Wednesday night.
AS CINCINNATI PREPARES FORPRESIDENT BIDEN'S TOWN LLHAMEETING TONIGHT,MANY AREASKING "WHY HERE"?MANY BELIEVETHE BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE HASSOMETHING TO DO WITHIT.WCPO 9 NEWS REPORTERMADELINE OTTILIE JOINS USLIVETHERE NOW TO EXPLAIN.WE'VE ALL BEEN IMPACTED BYCLOSURES ON THIS BRIDGE.THEESTIMATED COST TO FIX IT ISAROUND 2-POINT-5 BILLIONDOLLARS.
BUT LEADERS HAVESTRUGGLED FOR YEARS TO DECIDEWHERE THAT MONEY WILL COMEFROM.NOW, SE OMHOPE THE BIDENADMINISTRATION CAN FINALLYPROVIDE RELIEF.Natalie Bennett/Realtor: Imean, it's essential.
Thereare other bridges, but it'sthe most convenit.enNATALIEBENNETT CROSSES THE BRENTSPENCE BRIDGE EVERY SINGLE DAY.SHE'S A REALTOR, LIVING ONáTHISá SIDE IN KENTUCKY, BUTSELLING HOMES ON THE áOTHERáSIDE IN OHIO.NatalieBennett/Realtor: it's causedissues wh itbeing late, Imean, there was a time whenthe bridge was like shut downand I couldn't, I couldn'teven show, you know,properties in Ohio.EARLIERTHIS YEAR, TRUCKING INDUSTRYDATA FOUND THE BRIDGE AND I TSSURROUNDING AREA TO BE THESECOND-WORST TRAFFICBOTTLENECKN ITHE COUNTRY.Brent Cooper/President & CEO,Northern Kentucky Chamber ofCommerce:We see it every day.BRENT COOPER HAS SEEN THEECONOMIC IMPACT FIRSTHAN- D ASPRESIDENT AND C-E-O OF THENORTHERN KENTUCKY CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE.BrentCooper/President & CEO,Northern Kentucky Chamber ofCommerce:We're hearing fromsmall businesses that it isstju killing them.
/ We'vegot a local brewery here.
Theycan't get patrons to come fromCincinnati / It doesn'tmatter where you live.
We areall impacted by the BrentSpence.THERE ARE ALSOQUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY: OHIOTRANSPORTATION DATA SHOWS THEBRIDGE IS CARRYING DOUB TLEHETRAFFIC IT WAS DESIGNED TOHOLD.AS EACH Y DAGOES BY,COOPER WARNS REPAIRS COULD GETMORE EXPENSIVE.BrentCooper/President & CEO,Northern Kentucky ChamberWe've been talking about thisproject for over two decadesand it's exceedinglyfrustrating for us./ We wantthere to be bipartisanship onthis agreement because we ntwathere to be a long-termsolution.POLITICAL SCIENCEPROFESSOR DR. DAVID NIVEN SAYSREACHING ACROSS THE AISLE ISTHE ONLY WAYO TGET THE WORKDONE.Dr. DavidNiven/University of Cincinnatipolitical science professor:thiss ithe reality of theAmerican political system.None of those people, aspowerful as they were, couldfix this problem themselves./if President Biden can, youknow, walk arm across thatbridge with Senator Portmanand Senator McConnell, thenwe're going to get a newbridge.BENNETT HOPES THAT'STHE CASE.NatalieBennett/Realtor:it's been atopic for a really, really,really long time and nothing'sbeen done.
/ There's alwayshope.
My main hope is that itis fixed before somethingmajor or drastichappensOHIO SENATOR PORTMAN HAS SAIDHE IS WILLING TO WORK WITH THEPRESIDENT ON INFRASTRUCTURE.THE PRESIDENT OF COURSE WILLNEED THAT REPUBLICAN SUPPORTTO GET HIS INFRASTRUCTUREPLANS THROUGH.
With the Biden administration in the throes of pushing its massive infrastructure plan through Congress, the troubled bridge is one..