Thursday, August 03, 2000
Freeway link reopens with kinks
By James Pilcher
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati drivers can still expect a lot of orange barrels through the downtown construction zone even after portions of the reconstructed Fort Washington Way open on Aug. 14 and 18.
And driving downtown will be even more chaotic in the days leading up to then, city officials said Wednesday in announcing the opening of the $314 million project.
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OPENING DATES
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Aug. 14 (5 a.m.)
• Mainline highway connecting Interstates 71 and 75, two lanes in each direction.
• Third Street switches direction, becomes a one-way, east-to-west street.
• Elm Street bridge opens to pedestrian traffic.
Aug. 18
• Second Street, a new one-way, west-to-east street, between Elm and Vine streets.
• Bridges connecting Elm, Vine, and Race) streets to Second (Walnut already open; Main to open later in the month).
• Ramp from I-75 south and U.S. 50 east to Second.
• Ramp from I-71/75 north (Brent Spence Bridge) to Second.
• Ramp from U.S. 50 west to Fort Washington Way west.
• Ramp from U.S. 50 west to Third.
• Ramp from Third to I-71/75 south.
• Ramp from Clay Wade Bailey Bridge to Second.
By end of month
• Second Street from Vine to Main streets.
• Main Street bridge across Fort Washington Way to Second.
• Ramp from Second and Main to Broadway/Pete Rose Way intersection.
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“With all good news comes some bad; and to make it all happen, we're going to have some pretty extensive closures,” said Don Gindling, project manager for Fort Washington Way construction. “But we think the price is worth it.”
Fort Washington Way will be closed in both directions starting the night of Friday, Aug. 11, until early Monday, Aug. 14, when the reconstructed mainline is to open.
In addition, Third Street will be closed during that time to allow workers to reconfigure it to run east-west instead of west-east, as now.
And all north-south streets will be closed between Third and Fourth streets to allow lights to be installed, although local traffic will be allowed in for those working the weekend.
Third Street will open to traffic the morning of Monday, Aug. 14, in its new configuration.
Four days later, a new Second Street will open, running west-to-east to Vine Street and connecting from Interstate 71/75 northbound, I-75 south and U.S. 50 west.
Another set of access ramps also will open on Aug. 18 on the west end of Fort Washington Way; and others are to be opened by the end of the month, along with another stretch of Second Street between Vine and Main.
What will not happen this month is the opening of all eight lanes of the mainline highway, four in each direction, although the wide-vehicle ban will be lifted on Aug. 14. All lane restrictions on northbound I-71/75 across the Brent Spence Bridge will be lifted.
City Transportation Director John Deatrick said the city expects a four-lane configuration, two in each direction, to stay in place until at least November because work remains on both trench walls.
City Manager John Shirey added that the finish coat of asphalt still needs to be applied to the entire highway.
And construction will continue on a new Third Street viaduct connecting U.S. 50, I-471 and Fort Washington Way, meaning more traffic delays. The last remaining connection — I-471 onto Fort Washington Way west — won't open until at least November.
“What we are getting the week of the 14th is as good as we had before the project even started,” Mr. Deatrick said. “Then we're adding on from there.”
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