By 2015 the BrentSpence Bridge and nearly all of I-75north to I-275 will have been reconstructed. What form thereconstructed highway will take has not yet been decided upon. Official planninghas divided the project into three segments:
1. BrentSpence Bridge (on-site link -- there is not yet an officialBrent Spence Bridge site)
The "Brent Spence Bridge" section includes theFort Washington Way and 6th St. Expressway
interchanges north of the river.
2. "Millcreek Expressway" (bridge approach north to Paddock Rd.)
Official project site: www.i75millcreekexpressway.com
3. "Thru The Valley" (Paddock Rd. north to I-275)
Official project site: http://www.thruthevalley.com
The official site www.i75millcreekexpressway.com,which concerns the stretch of I-75 between the Brent Spence Bridgeapproach and Paddock Rd., outlinesthe nineteen scenarios that were studied. The three to undergofurther study, officially identified as I-75A, I-75B, and I-75C, arelisted below:
The selection of Scenario #3, Four Lane Continuity, was reported in the August 20, 2005 Cincinnati Enquirer.
Stretch of I-75 to get 4th lane
Widening to cost at least $159 millionBy Dan Klepal
Enquirer staff writer
Ohio Department of Transportation officials have decided that adding a fourth lane in each direction on Interstate 75 between Paddock Road and I-275 is the "feasible" way to overhaul the seven-mile stretch of interstate that more than 160,000 drivers use daily.
The next step is to perform more detailed engineering, cost analysis and evaluation of how many homes and businesses will be bulldozed to make room for the wider interstate. That work will take about a year.
Nicknamed "Thru The Valley," the plan to add the extra lane will cost about $159 million.
But the project is likely to cost more than $260 million before construction is completed in 2012 or 2013, because engineers want to make other improvements:
Remove the exit that leads to Mangham Drive and build a full interchange at Shepherd Lane in Lincoln Heights at a cost of $21 million.
Eliminate the Cooper Avenue exit and reconfigure Davis Street as a full interchange in Lockland, extending it west with a bridge over the Lockland split at a cost of $64 million.
Improve the confusing network of roads known as Neumann Way with a two-lane parkway at a cost of $17 million.
Engineers might lift one idea from the rejected alternatives - building a full interchange with Ronald Reagan Highway. "That was a very popular idea in the feedback we received from the public," said Diana Martin, ODOT's District 8 planning administrator.
The project is necessary because that stretch of interstate, one of the oldest in the nation, is considered obsolete and a safety hazard. Construction won't begin until 2010.
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Although express lanes are no longer being considered for I-75 north of Paddock Rd., I'm going to leave the following section on the site.
I-75 "local" and I-75 "express"?
Due to the characteristics of I-75's traffic and surroundings, traditional widening promises little benefit. Therefore express lanes have been proposed for the length of I-75 between downtown Cincinnati and I-275. At grade or elevated, the express lanes would interchange only with Cross County Highway and I-74, bypassing the Norwood Lateral and all local roads. The below graphic shows only the vicinity of the Cross County Highway interchange and is an example of the dozens that now appear on the official sites:
Express lanes elevated above the median:
Express lanes running along edge of right-of-way:
If and how express lanes will access downtown and cross the Ohio River is not addressed by www.i75millcreekexpressway.com. A scenario where a new bridge is built only for the I-75 express lanes and the Brent Spence carries on in its current configuration would avoid considerable hassle during construction. Needless to say the construction of two express lanes in each direction along the entire route of I-75 in Cincinnati would be much more effective in improving traffic flow and safety as compared to the addition of two traditional lanes.
Nearly all existing I-75 overpasses will be replaced as a part of thehighway's reconstruction and reconfiguration. Grandiose flyover ramps of the kind seen today in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Texas will be constructed in several places to eliminate left-side ramps and improve safety.
Removingleft-side ramps, such as the one seen here heading from I-75north to the
Western Hills Viaduct, will be a priority of the upcoming study.
(Larry Stulz photo)
More I-75 photos courtesy Larry Stulz
Cincinnati-Dayton Rd.
Tylersville Rd.
Trader's World Flea Market
Union Center Boulevard
Western Hills Viaduct
1. 1940's
2. 1950's
3. 1960's
4. 1970's-1990's
5. RecentNews and Future Plans