BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
As many as 13 major construction projects were on the table for Greater Cincinnati highways this summer. And while crews were able to finish work early on the Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River, most projects are just getting started.
"There haven't been too many complaints and long delays, so far," said Irena Derrick, spokeswoman for the American Automobile Association in Cincinnati. But that may be because most of the work still looms.
From the outer belt to the downtown connector, area roads are getting a make-over this summer.
Two viaducts leading to downtown Cincinnati are closed for rework. Stretches of Interstate 75 - 71 are closed through Northern Kentucky for road work, rerouting tractor-trailer traffic onto Interstate 275, which itself will get a touch-up in eastern suburbs. Then factor in the Fort Washington Way construction, which will change how people get through and into downtown for years to come. A few ramps to the downtown connector between I-71 and I-75 are closed already, most of the rest will close in July.
Many of the projects planned for I-275 through the eastern suburbs were expected to begin in May. Because the bidding process started at the end of the month, work will now start in June, said Kim Patton, regional spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. John Bistor suggests that through tractor-trailers banned from I-75 - 71 should take I-275 through the western suburbs. While the trek may add about 10 miles to a trip, the drivers will avoid the traffic and construction present on the eastern edge.
Bus systems on both sides of the Ohio River are promoting their park-and-ride programs to frustrated drivers. And the AAA is warning its members about the construction tie-ups, the recreational vehicle restrictions through Greater Cincinnati and a ban on vehicles more than 7 feet wide through Fort Washington Way beginning in July. Construction planners are working to avoid traffic hassles, Ms. Patton said. Work in some areas will be restricted and lanes will be opened during rush hours, she said. Resurfacing work along I-275 will be done at night to maintain daytime traffic, she said. "We are trying to lessen the impact as much as possible," she said.
But Tristate travelers will have to get used to the orange barrels that mark construction zones. The biggest traffic projects on the books, Fort Washington Way and the reconstruction of the S curve on I-75 - 71 in Fort Mitchell, will last into the year 2000.
