July 21, 200816 yr Work will cause detours http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/NEWS01/807210358/1168/NEWS
July 21, 200816 yr It was almost a year ago since I wrote that rant above and every time I drive through the I-275/I-75 interchange, I still shake my head.
July 21, 200816 yr Yeah, it's insane that the I-75/I-275 ramps won't be a part of either the I-75 or I-275 construction projects. Maybe somebody should give them some feedback relating to this at one of the meetings ODOT is holding?
July 24, 200816 yr The way things are done in the inland waterways funding is even stupider. Companies have to rebid every year for the next year's work on projects like new dams & locks, meaning around December a company literally packs all its stuff up and heads home and another one comes in the next year to pick up where they left off. They program small amounts of work for each year so that it can easily be accomplished within that fiscal year. This is why the new Olmstead lock & dam, designed to replace locks 51 and 52 on the Ohio River, has taken over 15 years to complete when it could have been built in 3 years if they had simply built it all at once. Dams 51 and 52 are wicket dams which only raise the river level about 4 feet each and were built as "temporary" facilities back around 1910.
August 3, 200816 yr ODOT project eliminating slip ramps By Kurt Backscheider • [email protected] • July 30, 2008 http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20080730/NEWS09/807300451/
August 4, 200816 yr ^^ Bye bye, slip ramps! May the new signal have actuated ped signals so that traffic operations can be optimized.
August 4, 200816 yr ^^ Bye bye, slip ramps! May the new signal have actuated ped signals so that traffic operations can be optimized. Lets hope so...that intersection sees quite a bit of pedestrian traffic. A lot of which comes from school children walking to/from school at Bridgetown Middle School and the couple other schools around the corner.
August 29, 200816 yr Rybolt relocation to wrap up this fall By Kurt Backscheider • [email protected] • August 26, 2008 http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20080826/NEWS/808260375/ GREEN TWP. - The Rybolt Road relocation project should be finished by the end of October. At the Green Township Trustees meeting Monday, Aug. 25, Hamilton County Chief Deputy Engineer Ted Hubbard updated the board on the status of the Harrison Avenue/Rybolt Road/Interstate 74 improvement project. He said the first phase of the plan - relocating Rybolt by building a new road from Rybolt to Hearne Road - is expected to be completed at the end of October. ... More at: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20080826/NEWS/808260375/
August 29, 200816 yr Get a load of some of the ideas floated around in the past. (2002) Monday, September 16, 2002 Solutions for Rybolt Road to be studied http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/09/16/loc_solutions_for_rybolt.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Angela Koenig Enquirer contributor GREEN TOWNSHIP — Traversing the roads where Rybolt Road, Harrison Avenue and Interstate 74 intersect in western Hamilton County is often maddening — and can be dangerous. That's why Green Township trustees on Sept. 23 will discuss two road improvement proposals. A $10 million flyover ramp that would take eastbound I-74 traffic exiting at Rybolt Road over Rybolt and feed it directly into Harrison Avenue. The project could take until 2010 or longer to complete. A $3 million realignment of Rybolt that could be complete within three years. ... More at: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/09/16/loc_solutions_for_rybolt.html
August 29, 200816 yr Oh Rybolt, how you were supposed to be finished a year ago. Funny how utility relocation can muck things up. Lots of ideas and alternatives were floated... some businesses like some alternatives more than others. Ultimately, 4 or so years of study led to the alternative we have today. I can't wait until Wesselman and Rybolt makes it from design to construction. That will be fun too, you know.
August 30, 200816 yr The development at Rybolt/Harrison/I-74 is one of the worst areas I've ever seen in terms of traffic impact, environmental impact and aesthetic impact. I'll always be a west-sider at heart, but that disaster hurt my pride.
August 30, 200816 yr ^Thank Green Twp officials for not standing up for any kind of decent development whatsoever. Then be sure to thank Green Twp for not incorporating and developing more stringent zoning/design regulations than the unincorporated Hamilton County standards.
September 6, 200816 yr >The development at Rybolt/Harrison/I-74 is one of the worst areas I've ever seen in terms of traffic impact, environmental impact and aesthetic impact. I'll always be a west-sider at heart, but that disaster hurt my pride. This all dates from them expanding the sewers in the 1990's with no plan to regulate growth. The Rybolt Rd. interchange opened 25 years before the surrounding area had sewers and wasn't built with sprawlmania in mind. >I always confuse Grand, Quebec, and Guerley for some reason. There's also Wyoming.
October 3, 200816 yr More fun for Harrison Ave travelers! Barrier to be up on Harrison near Rybolt Community Press Staff Report • September 29, 2008 http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20080929/NEWS/809290350/ A barrier wall will be set on the west side of Harrison Road near the Rybolt Road intersection beginning Tuesday, Sept. 30. The barrier will be about one-third of a mile long. ... More at: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20080929/NEWS/809290350/
October 27, 200816 yr Study of views could guide development Group hopes to preserve scenic drive By Steve Kemme, Cincinnati Enquirer, October 26, 2008 For thousands of motorists, Columbia Parkway is the main route to and from work. But it has another facet many believe is just as important. Often referred to as Cincinnati's premier terrace, Columbia Parkway offers breathtaking views of the Ohio River, Mount Adams and the Kentucky hills. "I would say it's one of the top 10 scenic urban drives in America," said Eric Russo, executive director of the Hillside Trust, a nonprofit organization that works to protect hillsides in the region.
October 27, 200816 yr Bigger I-471 unnerves Newport New lane each way recommended to state http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20081026/NEWS0103/810260384 A proposed additional lane each way on Interstate 471 has some residents in Newport afraid of the loss of some homes, as well as peace and quiet. The additional lane was one of 33 recommendations approved by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments this month in an I-471 corridor study.
October 27, 200816 yr I'm not really sure there is a major need for this expansion. Is there someone on this board who uses this part of the interstate regularly that can chime in? It just seems to be a situation where the funds could be better spent elsewhere.
October 27, 200816 yr Changes to Columbia Parkway at the Taft & Torrence Intersection http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/city/downloads/ColumbiaParkwayTaftTorrenceChanges.pdf The City of Cincinnati is changing the lane turning assignments and adjusting the traffic signal timing at the intersection of Columbia Parkway, Taft Road and Torrence Parkway. These changes will better serve traffic to and from the O’bryonville Neighborhood Business District as well as other nearby Communities in the City. Specifically, beginning on Saturday, October 18, 2008, the following changes will be in effect: Traffic traveling southbound on Torrence Parkway will now be allowed to turn left onto eastbound Columbia Parkway from the left most approach lane. This left turn was previously restricted. Traffic traveling eastbound on Columbia Parkway will now be allowed to turn left onto Taft Road or Torrence Parkway. The left turn to Taft was previously restricted. Traffic traveling westbound on Columbia Parkway destined for Taft Road will now be required to make their turn from the second lane from the right. Prior to this change, traffic was turning onto Taft from the curb lane, sharing it with traffic turning right onto Torrence Parkway. Traffic traveling westbound on Columbia Parkway destined to Torrence Parkway will continue to make their right turn from the curb lane as before. Appropriate signing at and in advance of the intersection will be present informing motorists of the proper travel lane, depending on their destination. Motorists should proceed with caution as all drivers adjust to these changes. For more information about our department, please visit www.cincinnati-oh.gov/dote
October 27, 200816 yr Other than the Southbound RT 8 ramp, 471 doesn't seem to ever get very congested. I've always thought that KY wants to expand 471 so that it can handle the added traffic during the eventual Brent Spence replacement. A lot of people in Newport seem to think that it's meant to accomodate Ohioans from the extreme east side of town who take 275 to 471 to downtown, but I'm not sure how much validity there is to that.
October 27, 200816 yr A lot of people in Newport seem to think that it's meant to accomodate Ohioans from the extreme east side of town who take 275 to 471 to downtown, but I'm not sure how much validity there is to that. I think a lot of those people take Columbia Parkway (aka U.S. 50).
October 27, 200816 yr Personally, here are my recommendations -- 1. Widen Interstate 471 SB to four-lanes from the Ohio River span southward to Memorial Parkway, and use the right-lane as a drop-lane into the exit. This would require relatively few disruptions or property acquisitions. 2. Remove the "temporary" Park Avenue/KY 8 ramp and construct ramp under Interstate 471 to connect to the Interstate 471 NB to KY 8 ramp, per OKI recommendations. 3. Widen Interstate 471 NB from Memorial Parkway to the KY 8 interchange by adding one-lane to the right-most side that will function as an elongated entrance and exit ramp. Widening it further to the bridge would cause the KY 8 on-ramp to have a shortened acceleration lane as it enters the Ohio River span. 4. Construct one additional lane between Memorial Parkway and Grand Avenue to function as an elongated entrance and exit ramp. 5. Remove the Interstate 471 NB to Grand Avenue EB ramp, and add a defined termini and traffic signal at the end of the Grand Avenue WB ramp so that traffic can turn left onto Grand Avenue EB. 6. Widen the Interstate 275 EB to Interstate 471 NB ramp to two-lanes, and make the left-most lane drop as it merges into the mainline. Remove one-lane from US 27 NB as it merges into the scheme.
October 27, 200816 yr ^Works for me. Although honestly, as long as number 2 on your list happens, I'm fine with whatever else they decide to do.
October 27, 200816 yr Most folks I've know who work downtown and live in Anderson and points north and east use 275 to 471 rather than Columbia Parkway, which is dominated by Mariemont/Terrace Park and Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout.
October 27, 200816 yr 471 is a great example of a roadway that invented traffic. The need for it was political, not traffic.
October 27, 200816 yr Off the top of my head the Natchez Trace Parkway is about 400 miles long. I drove it from Nashville to Jackson, Miss in 2000 on my way to New Orleans. The section closest to Nashville is the best part, although it's total pork. It has almost no traffic whatsoever in Tennessee and is used for training purposes by professional bikers. In Mississippi it turns into a local road in several places.
October 27, 200816 yr Have you seen the license tags during rush hour? The vast majority of cars have OHIO tags. Obviously from the far east side of Ohio. I'm all for regional cooperation, but this expansion is not needed. Solve the backup of traffic from the rt.8 exit from southbound traffic, and and it's all good.
October 27, 200816 yr Jake, I'm not for sure where you can go based on refuting hard facts: Interstate 471 carries, 1. Over 97,000 vehicles per day at Kentucky Route 8, and experiences Level-Of-Service (LOS) C-D for most of the day. 2. Over 103,400 vehicles per day between Memorial Parkway and Grand Avenue, and experiences LOS C-D for most of the day. The lack of acceleration and deceleration lanes often congests traffic, and there should be one-additional lane per direction between the two interchanges. Since it is a drop-lane, 12' shoulders are not required; 4' are standard for this, so it wouldn't require new right-of-way acquisition. 3. Over 97,500 vehicles per day south of Grand Avenue. 4. Over 93,000 vehicles per day south of U.S. Route 27. One can infer that 6,000 vehicles per day enter at Memorial and exit at Grand, and enter at Grand and exit at Memorial -- using Interstate 471 as a bypass of local city streets. As a result, a new connection between the two should be constructed, along with the extra lane I described in #2. More than Ohio drivers use this highway: 5. Over 22,000 vehicles continue south via U.S. Route 27. With the highway being recently widened to four-lanes from Alexandria south to Aspen Grove, the importance of this connection is more vital now than ever. 6. Over 67,000 traverse along Interstate 275 WB through the Interstate 275/471 interchange, which also includes traffic from U.S. Route 27 NB to Interstate 275 WB. Traffic counts are over 82,000 at the Ohio River bridge to the east, and over 77,000 to the west. Therefore, one can assume that of the 93,000 vehicles that continue along Interstate 471 to Interstate 275, that a portion of the traffic heads due east into Ohio and west further into Kentucky, but that 23% head south along U.S. Route 27 based on the data available.
October 27, 200816 yr Off the top of my head the Natchez Trace Parkway is about 400 miles long. I drove it from Nashville to Jackson, Miss in 2000 on my way to New Orleans. The section closest to Nashville is the best part, although it's total pork. It has almost no traffic whatsoever in Tennessee and is used for training purposes by professional bikers. In Mississippi it turns into a local road in several places. I had no idea it was so long. I only knew of the section on the west side of Nashville, beginning at Centennial Park.
October 27, 200816 yr Most folks I've know who work downtown and live in Anderson and points north and east use 275 to 471 rather than Columbia Parkway, which is dominated by Mariemont/Terrace Park and Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout. The people I know who live in Mt. Washington take Columbia Parkway. Not Anderson but close.
October 27, 200816 yr Most folks I've know who work downtown and live in Anderson and points north and east use 275 to 471 rather than Columbia Parkway, which is dominated by Mariemont/Terrace Park and Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout. The people I know who live in Mt. Washington take Columbia Parkway. Not Anderson but close. I can tell you from living in both Mt. Washington and Anderson in the past: we took Columbia Pkwy when living in MtW and 471 after moving to Anderson. It's a toss-up for some who live in Anderson, but it's much quicker going I-471 to I-275.
November 4, 200816 yr New Buttermilk lane expected in '09 By Cindy Schroeder, Cincinnati Enquirer, November 4, 2008 The Buttermilk Pike lane extension is still scheduled to be finished by spring despite a late start, city and Kentucky Transportation officials say.
November 9, 200816 yr A bridge not quite so far Steel needs replacement By Keith T. Reed, Cincinnati Enquirer, November 8, 2008 Cracked steel plates that have kept big trucks off the Ohio-bound side of the Interstate 275 bridge east of Cincinnati won't be fixed for a while longer. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials met with engineers and contractors Friday in Frankfort to discuss details of the repairs slated for the Combs-Hehl Bridge near Coney Island. The meeting did not result in a firm date for the repairs to start...
November 11, 200816 yr Rybolt Road reopens http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081111/NEWS01/811110390/1168/NEWS0101 The Hamilton County engineer has announced that the connection on Rybolt Road from Wesselman Road to Harrison Road will be reopened to traffic beginning today after 5 p.m. ... More at: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081111/NEWS01/811110390/1168/NEWS0101
November 11, 200816 yr Oh that's precious. They moved incredibly slow on this project. This should work well once Old Rybolt Road becomes one-way towards Harrison in the not too distant future. Also, the Hamilton County Engineer's website is a total joke and embarassment for a county of Hamilton County's size. It's like it was coded in Front Page express.
November 11, 200816 yr Transportation Projects Update North Bend Road to get traffic fix State money or not, township going ahead By Eric Bradley • [email protected] • November 11, 2008 http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20081111/NEWS01/811110323/ GREEN TWP. - Township officials will find out at the end of this month if they will receive matching state funds to improve North Bend Road and its intersections with Monfort Heights Drive and Boomer Road. The township intends to proceed with the $1.3 million plan next year whether or not it is awarded the 50 percent funding from Ohio. Fred Schlimm, Green Township director of public services, said the project to improve traffic flow and enhance safety at the congested stretch south of Interstate 74 has been under consideration for four years. The township worked with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Hamilton County Engineer's Office to plan the upgrades. ... More at: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20081111/NEWS01/811110323/
November 12, 200816 yr http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/noncms/transeng/harrison/ I personally agree with the sorely needed updates to Harrison Avenue. None are too far-reaching and none will require any substantial property purchases. Web site up to hear road worries Cincinnati Enquirer, November 12, 2008 After residents expressed concerns about possible renovations to Harrison Avenue, Cincinnati put together a new Web site that shows both no-build options and proposed changes. Leave comments or attend a public hearing at 4-7 p.m. Monday at Westwood Town Hall, 3017 Harrison Ave.
November 12, 200816 yr Relief coming for Fairfield traffic By Sue Kiesewetter, Cincinnati Enquirer, November 12, 2008 Road work could begin in 2011 on a $27 million project to clear up traffic jams that often occur near the Winton/South Gilmore Road exit off Interstate 275. The interchange is a key highway access point for residents of Forest Park, Fairfield and for thousands of people driving to the nearby Bass Pro Shops, Meijer, and a Wal-Mart, plus two of Fairfield’s largest employers – Cincinnati Financial Corp. and Mercy Hospital Fairfield.
November 12, 200816 yr ^So, what are you implying or suggesting by that comment? Harrison Avenue is in terrible shape from pretty much the Western Hills Viaduct all the way through Westwood, Cheviot, Green Township and into Miamitown. The road is in total disrepair and the patchwork of projects for new gaslines and water lines have only made the problem worse.
November 18, 200816 yr New I-75 ramp opening postponed Dayton Daily News, November 18, 2008 DAYTON — The opening of a new ramp to southbound Interstate 75 that was scheduled to occur Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, has been postponed for a day, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. The new ramp leading from North Main Street to I-75 is now scheduled to open at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19. Simultaneously as the new ramp is being opened, a nearby old ramp from Grand Avenue to southbound I-75 will be permanently closed. A news release from ODOT said the ramp change was postponed for a day because poor weather over the weekend slowed down preparatory work on the new ramp. The ramp from North Main Street is alongside a newly constructed overpass where I-75 crosses Main Street in the area of Shaw Avenue. Signs will be in place to direct traffic from the area of the old ramp to the new one, according to the ODOT news release.
November 23, 200816 yr Nice. I am amazed at the pace this project has moved. Only if the 75/70 i-change moved at this speed... :roll:
December 9, 200816 yr Harrison/Rybolt lane closures http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081209/NEWS01/312090020/1055/NEWS As part of the Harrison Road/Rybolt Road project, Cincinnati Water Works will be flushing the newly installed water main today and Wednesday. The work will involve periodic lane closures on Harrison Road and Rybolt Road from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day. During the week of Dec. 15, Cincinnati Water Works will perform tie-ins to the water main, which will require water shut downs in the area. ... More at: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081209/NEWS01/312090020/1055/NEWS
December 9, 200816 yr God I love the few comments on this closure. If only people knew that there is such a thing as a design speed for the roads. The design speed is at least 35MPH, also known as the posted speed limit. It could actually be higher. Cincinnatians tend to forget that during poor roadway conditions they need to exercise caution and by god, drive slower. Also, this project will be wonderful once it is finished. Is new Rybolt open yet? Is the new signal up at Old Rybolt and New Rybolt? I don't think they are, and the overall project is nowhere near finished. The future condition will be much, much better than the old existing condition from an operation standpoint. With proper signage and markings, it should be safer as well.
December 9, 200816 yr Is new Rybolt open yet? Is the new signal up at Old Rybolt and New Rybolt? No, it is still blocked off. Currently there is a temporary stop sign there that many people just roll through as it really isn't needed. Is this spot really going to have a signal? The future condition will be much, much better than the old existing condition from an operation standpoint. With proper signage and markings, it should be safer as well. Very much so. What is open now is a huge improvement. They've added curb and gutter, widened the previously very narrow lanes and added a couple of left turn spots that were problematic before as left-turning cars were often waiting in blind spots just over the tops of hills.
December 10, 200816 yr Is new Rybolt open yet? Is the new signal up at Old Rybolt and New Rybolt? No, it is still blocked off. Currently there is a temporary stop sign there that many people just roll through as it really isn't needed. Is this spot really going to have a signal? The future condition will be much, much better than the old existing condition from an operation standpoint. With proper signage and markings, it should be safer as well. Very much so. What is open now is a huge improvement. They've added curb and gutter, widened the previously very narrow lanes and added a couple of left turn spots that were problematic before as left-turning cars were often waiting in blind spots just over the tops of hills. Unless they changed from this geometrics diagram, I imagine there will be a signal at Old Rybolt and New Rybolt: http://www.hamilton-co.org/engineer/Planning_Design/Proj_under_const/Phase%201%20&%202.pdf If you haven't seen that pdf... that's what they are doing. This is the result of years of discussion between ODOT, the township and property owners. You can see that phase 2 has already started, but then they could have changed the phasing to be more complex than it already is. Also, Harrison Avenue at Race improvements are supposed to go next year. Once that's finished I imagine Green Township will start harping on ODOT for the final improvements Glenway and Bridgetown. Of course, the interim improvements just completed at that intersection are probably meant to exist for more than a few years, but time shall tell what they intend on doing.
December 10, 200816 yr There are a couple of things that this realignment has done. 1) It has made the area where Holiday Inn Express (formerly Imperial House) much more visible and has given it a more permanent feeling entrance area. 2) At the intersection of the old and new Rybolt there is a new open patch of green space adjacent to the new condos that recently went in there. It would be interesting to see this turned into some sort of small park for those residents to use. 3) This is more of an observation, but I'm a little surprised they didn't take the work another 50' or so further south on Rybolt. There is the entrance to the new subdivision there (Jennifer Lynn Drive) where northbound cars constantly que waiting for those who turn left into the neighborhood. With the work they just did they widened the approach enough to make room for a left turn lane into this neighborhood since they just added a left turn lane onto Russel Heights Drive.
December 10, 200816 yr 2) At the intersection of the old and new Rybolt there is a new open patch of green space adjacent to the new condos that recently went in there. It would be interesting to see this turned into some sort of small park for those residents to use. Nice idea, but having lived there for 2.5 years and having served on the board for one of those years, I just don't see it happening anytime soon. Nice condos with good people. That being said, I am glad to be back in the city where I belong.
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