Brent Spence Bridge

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – The people who would use a new Brent Spence Bridge appear as divided as government leaders on using tolls to pay for construction.

The projected cost for a new I-75 bridge connecting Ohio and Kentucky is $2.5 billion. A newly released study of regional AAA members finds 52 percent of those polled oppose tolls and 48 percent were in favor of the crossing fee.

Interestingly, more than half of Hamilton County drivers – 52 percent – want tolls, but more than half of northern Kentucky drivers – 59 percent – are against tolls.

Commuters in both regions are against raising gas or sales taxes to pay for the bridge. 

AAA generally opposes road tolls.

“As an organization, AAA generally prefers that all roads be toll-free. We also recognize that the realities of today's infrastructure funding requirements will likely mean some percentage of local funding. If tolls are implemented in order to help achieve this vital community project, we believe that important safeguards should be in place to protect the interests of all users of the bridge including 270,000 AAA members in Hamilton, Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties and millions of AAA members around the nation who cross the bridge while traveling on vacation,” the organization said in a statement on its website.

According to AAA, more than 175,000 vehicles cross the 49-year-old Brent Spence Bridge each day. The bridge also has one of the highest crash rates for any interstate highway bridge in the country.

The results of AAA’s survey can be found online at http://ohiovalley.aaa.com/brentspence?sf9313723=1.