Projects | Archaeology | Brent Spence Bridge

Brent Spence Bridge

Spanning the Ohio River, the Brent Spence Bridge supports an interstate highway alignment connecting Cincinnati, OH and Covington, KY. Due to the bridge’s bi-state location, this project required extensive inter-agency coordination between the Federal Highways Administration, Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Historic Preservation Office, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and Kentucky Heritage Council. During project initiation, Gray & Pape collaborated with ODOT/OHPO and KYTC/KHC to develop appropriate Areas of Potential Effects for five project alternatives, considering pragmatic boundary limits for the range of direct and indirect effects to architectural and archaeological resources.

 

Gray & Pape completed a wide array of CRM services including, Phase I Archaeological, Phase I and II History/Architecture resource investigations, consulting party meetings, and the development of Mitigation Plans, Memorandum of Agreements and Determinations of Effects documentation for cultural resources that may be affected by the proposed replacement of the Brent Spence Bridge. All resource documentation, analyses and reporting was conducted in accordance with ODOT/OHPO for the Ohio side, and KYTC/KHC standards and specifications for the Kentucky side.

 

The firm conducted historical research and field investigations to identify, document, and assess the National Register eligibility of all resources more than 50 years old within the APE. The project required preparation of two Phase I survey reports, one addressing resources in Ohio and the other addressing resources in Kentucky. In addition, Phase II History Architecture investigations were completed in Ohio for resources identified as potentially eligible for listing in the NRHP during the Phase I survey.

 

Due to urban conditions, the identification of archaeological resources was based on extensive historical research and development of a predictive model. The model was field verified on the Ohio side, resulting in no further work. Phase I archaeological reconnaissance for the Kentucky portion of the alignment required field survey.

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