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WaPo: UC engineer talks about future of Brent Spence Bridge

UC's G.A. Rassati says drivers can trust bridge safety when span reopens

headshot of Michael Miller By Michael Miller 513-556-6757
2 minute read November 18, 2020

The Washington Post talked to a University of Cincinnati engineer about the future of Cincinnati's Brent Spence Bridge, which was closed to traffic after a fiery crash on Veteran's Day.

The closure of the busy span over the Ohio River created a traffic crisis in both Kentucky and Ohio. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the span will reopen by year's end once repairs are made.

Gian Andrea Rassati

UC associate professor G.A. Rassati. Photo/Jay Yocis/UC Creative + Brand

UC College of Engineering and Applied Science associate professor Gian Andrea Rassati said the bridge is functionally obsolete because its design does not meet modern standards.

Rassati teaches in UC's Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management.

"A bridge today would not have narrow lanes and shoulders on each side," Rassati told The Post.

Replacing the bridge has been a contentious subject for more than a decade. The bridge is considered one of the top-10 traffic chokepoints in the United States, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. 

Read the story.

Featured image at top: UC's Engineering Research Center. Photo/Lisa Britton/UC Creative + Brand

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