Monday, October 25, 1999
Green light for Ft. Wash. Way
Partial reopening starts countdown
BY MARIE McCAIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Traffic flows both ways Sunday along Fort Washington Way on newly reopened lanes.
(Craig Ruttle photo)
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With Sunday's opening of a portion of Fort Washington Way, the entire expressway revamp is less than a year away from final completion.
“We still have to complete the southern lanes,” said Don Gindling, the city's Fort Washington Way construction manager.
The two-year, $280 million expressway overhaul started in July 1998. The finished three-quarter-mile roadway, which stretches from the Brent Spence Bridge to the Lytle Tunnel, is expected to be safer for drivers and pedestrians who use overhead walkways when it's done in August 2000.
Traffic volumes outgrew the 38-year-old highway, and ramp additions made it dangerous. When done, the highway will have eight lanes.
Sunday's opening ended a nearly seven-week delay on public access to the northern lanes.
Closed nearly six months ago, these lanes were expected to be opened by August. But tardy steel supplies, additional projects — such as a new floodwall and installation of sewer pipes — and Tall Stacks '99 held up the opening.
The Pete Rose Way exit ramp from Fort Washington Way was originally scheduled to close in early October, but it was put off until January, when the Bengals will be done with their season.
Though behind schedule, the delay will not affect the final completion date, said Cincinnati engineer John Deatrick, who heads the project.
Further roadway closures include:
• The ramp from eastbound Fort Washington Way to Pete Rose Way closed permanently on Friday.
• The ramp from Levee Way to eastbound U.S. 50 and Interstate 471 closed permanently on Friday.
Detours are posted for both closures.
• Beginning today, the Eighth/Ninth Street ramp to Interstate 75 southbound is closedfor 30 days.
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