Survey results: What should 'companion' to Brent Spence be named?
OK or some version of it would be an OK name for the newest Greater Cincinnati bridge over the Ohio River.
That’s the verdict from readers who completed an Enquirer poll asking what Ohio and Kentucky should name the “companion bridge” that will be built as part of the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.
OH-KY or a variation garnered 27 votes from 522 poll participants.
Overall, close to two-thirds of voters wanted the new bridge to be named for a famous Cincinnatian, with low preference for the name of a politician, civic leader or journalist. (We offered only those choices, since the eight existing area bridges over the Ohio fall into one of those categories.)
Top 10 picks include Reds fan fave
Among voters’ permutations of OK: OK75, OHKY Span and It’s About Time Bridge OK.
The second most-suggested name was Pete Rose, with 18 mentions. They included a never-give-up vote of Pete Rose Hall of Fame Bridge.
Bridgey McBridge Face came in third with 17 votes, one with a Netflix twist (Bridgey McBridgerton).
William Howard Taft, the Cincinnati native who served as the nation’s 27th president, pulled in 16 votes.
Tied with 15 votes each were current President Joe Biden, whose administration awarded $1.6 billion in federal funds to the bridge project; true Spence companion, his wife, Ida Billerman Spence; and Rob Portman, who retired as one of Ohio’s U.S. senators in January and played a key role in securing the federal dollars.
Tied with 14 votes were titles with the word "freedom" and Cincinnati politician/talk show host Jerry Springer, who died in April.
Rounding out the Top 10, some combination of the words "Buckeye" and "Bluegrass" grabbed 12 votes.
How did other big names fare?
Given the 20-plus year effort to improve the Brent Spence, the project includes the fingerprints of many political leaders.
Enquirer readers pretty much ignored them.
Among current office holders, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear got eight votes, while Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky each got four. Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown got one.
Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, got two votes, and Jim Bunning, the baseball pitcher-turned-congressman who died in 2017, got one.
Among current athletes, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow won eight votes, retiring Reds icon Joey Votto got five and Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase won one (so the bridge will always be open, the voter quipped).
How about other famous folks with Ohio ties?
Nine votes each went to astronaut Neil Armstrong, the Wapakoneta, Ohio, native who died in 2012, and author Harriet Beecher Stowe who lived in Cincinnati for 18 years.
Eight went to the Clooney family – five for singer/actress Rosemary, two for news veteran Nick and one for the family overall. (Sorry, none for you, George.)
Five votes went to Cincinnati business giant Carl Lindner Jr. and five more went to Harambe, whose 2016 death at the Cincinnati Zoo made him famous.
Four readers voted for entertainer Bootsy Collins and four for painter Frank Duveneck.
One vote each went to two other recently deceased notables – singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffet, who died in September, and chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, who died last December.
Kentucky Post political reporter Clay Wade Bailey was famous enough in 1974 to have a bridge named for him.
That history is not likely to be repeated, according to Enquirer voters.
Winning just a single vote each were retired journalists Nick Clooney (mostly WKRC-TV) and Carol Williams (WCPO-TV), and 19th century editor Horace Greeley.
In the interest of full disclosure, the writer of this story got two nods, one by name and one by nickname. (Thanks, honey.)
Any more Jokey McJoke Bridge nominations?
Despite the long and often-contentious slog forward on the Brent Spence project, some readers remain in good humor about the bridge.
Sure, there were some grumpy suggestions – Waste of $4 Billion, Boondoggle and Not In My Lifetime among them. And the reader (grade-schooler, maybe?) who suggested Ugly Stupid Stinky Bridge also cast the sole vote for poop brown as the best color.
Other readers kept it fun. Bob! Larry! Steve! (Exclamation marks added.)
One reader made himself the punchline, suggesting the Don Newcomb Memorial Bridge “since I will certainly be dead by the time they ever build it.” (Newcomb could not be found for comment.)
And how ‘bout a companion color?
Blue led the way with 127 votes. Red was in second place with 109, followed by (Bengals) orange with 68, green with 63 and white at 34.
Pantone 5405, a popular blue-grey shade, got one vote. (Thanks, again, honey.)
What’s next for naming – or anything else – on Brent Spence?
The innovation period on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project – a two-month window for the Bi-State Project Management team and their lead contractor to take more public input – ends Dec. 7.
The Enquirer will add reader ideas to the hopper before then.
But, noted Matt Bruning, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation, "this does not mean there will be a slew of announcements coming on Dec. 8. There’s still much work to do."
Planners will evaluate input for constructability and cost, and produce final designs by mid-2024, Bruning said. Groundbreaking will happen in 2024, too, at a date to be determined.
Between now and then, the Brent Spence team will also conduct two public hearings, one in Ohio and one in Kentucky. focused on how the project will impact the environment. Watch for updated an environmental assessment on the project site’s document center along with details about the hearings.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What should Brent Spence companion bridge be named?
