Tearing down and rebuilding the Waldvogel Viaduct — which links Sixth Street to the west side — would cost $39 million and construction would last two years, city officials said Tuesday.

        If the city can find state, federal and county money, the project would start in 2004 and run until 2006.

        Transportation officials say the 60-year-old viaduct is in desperate need of overhaul. The replacement project has been on the city's drawing board for at least seven years, but has been stalled because of a lack of funding.

        The viaduct reaches over River Road and connects downtown to Elberon and Warsaw avenues in Price Hill.

        The project would lower much of the eastern end of the viaduct to ground level, and re-engineer the ramps at the western end to make them safer.

        “It's a fairly radical departure from what's there,” said John F. Deatrick, the city's director of transportation and engineering.

        The plan is to build a part-temporary, part-permanent viaduct alongside the current structure to maintain traffic while the viaduct is torn down, said project manager Chris Nyberg. But he conceded the project inevitably would lead to some traffic headaches for west-side commuters.

        West-side business groups have lobbied for the project as essential to economic development in Price Hill.

        City Council members, in turn, are lobbying state, federal and county officials for money to complete the project.

        Councilman Chris Monzel is leaning on Congressman Steve Chabot, who said federal money won't be easy to come by without a healthy local match.

        Councilman John Cranley said he has commitments from Hamilton County Commissioners Todd Portune and Tom Neyer that the viaduct is next on the list of big-ticket priorities in the county's Transportation Improvement District.

Luken won't parley with promoters of boycott
After years, Justin adoption case could be near conclusion
Timeline of Justin case
Churches ready for start of Lent
E-mail to Cranley creates stir
German's search leads to family
Hamilton County jail goes retro with striped jumpsuits
Loveland historic property on selling block
Nurse faces 90 days in cyclist's death
Police abuse called unchanged
Rev. Heet, Roger Bacon athletic director for 33 years, dies
Snowboarding interest all uphill
Tristate A.M. Report
Waldvogel Viaduct overhaul proposed
BRONSON: Opinion drawer
HOWARD: Some Good News
SAMPLES: Shelter on way
SMITH AMOS: Hip hop healing
Group outlines Fairfield's future
Lebanon accepts reports on water, sewer
Middletown teachers get wage boost
Residents weigh in on Wharf at Symmes
Coalition unhappy over school funding talks
Expanded gaming on agenda
Ohio board seeks changes in charter school laws
Taft picks Columbus woman as running mate
Complex plans on upscale units
Merger studied (yawn) really?