What should Brent Spence Bridge 'companion' be named?

When state officials talk about what will be the newest bridge in Greater Cincinnati, they call it “the companion” to the Brent Spence Bridge.

Kind of like a little buddy for the bridge, named for a Kentucky congressman who died in 1967.

That’s because they truly have no idea what it will be called when it opens, likely by 2030.

Or even who has naming rights.

“We don't yet know if it will be Ohio or Kentucky that names the bridge – assuming it is named," said Matt Bruning, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. "Each state has its own process."

Maybe it will be named for a politician – like four of the eight bridges that currently cross the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Or perhaps it will take the name of a civic leader, bridge designer, paint color or journalist, like the other four.

Could it be named after Portman, McConnell, DeWine or Beshear – some of the political champions of the long-planned Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project? Or maybe Biden, whose administration put forward $1.6 billion of the project's $3.6 billion price tag?

Perhaps a regional booster? Is Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments too long?

A corporate mainstay? Procter & Gamble recently got a little bridge play.

May we suggest The Enquirer? We’ve certainly covered it frequently enough through two decades of debate over its future.

Now is as good a time as any for the public to weigh in, with an online ballot below.

Here’s what to know before you vote.

How are bridges named?

In Ohio, the Ohio General Assembly names bridges. Buckeye lawmakers named two of the bridges over the Ohio River: U.S. Grant Bridge in Portsmouth, Ohio, for Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th U.S. president; and Oakley C. Collins Bridge in Ironton, Ohio, for an Ohio legislator from the 1970s and 1980s.

Kentucky lawmakers named all the others since the Bluegrass state owns them.

How are Ohio and Kentucky transportation departments involved?

The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are partners in the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.

As such, they'll work with lawmakers in a to-be-determined role on the naming question, Bruning said. "This will have to be a new process," he said. "This effort will require further coordination between the two states."

Not invited to the name game: the federal government or the project's three committees.

Naming rights – a la the deal that turned Paul Brown Stadium into Paycor Stadium – are not available. "That would be considered advertising and is prohibited," Bruning said.

Who are Greater Cincinnati bridges over the Ohio River named for?

Politicians celebrated with bridges include Brent Spence, Bert T. Combs, Lambert Hehl, Carroll Lee Cropper and Richard Southgate. James Taylor V, who shares a billing with Southgate on that bridge between Cincinnati and Newport, was a banker related to politicians; he was cousin to presidents James Madison and Zachary Taylor.

Of the other four: Daniel Carter Beard co-founded Boy Scouts of America; John A. Roebling designed and built the bridge that bears his name; Clay Wade Bailey was a prominent reporter; and the Purple People Bridge is named for its color.

Brent Spence Bridge project:Bridge Forward design could add up to $140M to Brent Spence plan, states say

How are bridge colors selected?

Bridge colors often reflect the environment of a given structure – blue over water, brown in wooden areas, green in spots with lots of foliage.

The Golden Gate Bridge, for example, has been "international orange" since it opened over the San Francisco Bay in 1937 because architects thought the color complemented the surroundings (and, also, that it was visible in the bay's famous fog).

For the Brent Spence companion, planners will engage members of their Project Advisory Committee and Aesthetics Committee, Bruning said. "Ultimately," he said about color, "this will be a state decision."

Colors already represented, locally, over the Ohio: Blue for the Roebling, yellow for the Beard and purple for the Purple People Bridge.

Brent Spence Bridge project:Former Cincinnati streetcar executive talks what's next for streetcar, Brent Spence Bridge

Here's how to submit your ideas

What should Li'l Spence go by? What color should he (she?) be? Submit your picks at bit.ly/companionnamepoll by Nov. 10.

You can also submit responses using the online form below.

We'll let Ohio and Kentucky – and other readers – know what you like.

When will the states decide?

There's no timetable, Bruning said. "Our focus is on getting the project built."

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What should the Brent Spence companion bridge be called?