They've been talking about this for years...from the 9/29/04 Enquirer:

 

 

 

Wider I-275 stretch starts in 2007

By Liz Oakes

Enquirer staff writer

 

FOREST PARK - Get ready for more orange barrels on Interstate 275.

 

State transportation officials plan to spend $117 million to widen part of the crowded northern beltway, with construction to begin in 2007.

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation said Tuesday it plans to add an extra lane both ways - and possibly sound-muffling walls - to a section of interstate from Winton Road to U.S. 42.

 

 

E-mail [email protected]

 

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/09/29/loc_275widen29.html

This is really starting to make me sick. Why should my hard earned pay check that is being taxed go toward the freakin burbs. I'm all for taxes and raising them if it is for the betterment of society, but how does this better myself and the other 1.9 million or so people that don't use that stretch of highway. I know people around me are getting tired of me saying transit this transit that, but come on by 2008 the traffic will be back to where it was before. People and new businesses aren't attracted here because of a new 20 lane highway highway in suburbia, they're attracted to quality of life things like transit or a crazy new bridge designed downtown the is actually NEEDED or maybe the roof over Ft. Washington Way to hide it. And why should we be paying for walls in the backyards of people's houses. I have loud neighbors so I think the people in West Chester should pay for a wall to be put up in my yard. If its too loud you shouldn't have moved there.

amen! if we didn't let them mooch off the nati so much they'de join us and we'd all be better off. cause all the taxes would be pulled into one big effcient fund.

Actually It's not enough. I read once full development happens in the area.There needs to be a minimum of 6 lanes each direction on the northern loop.

 

Ohio does not think ahead like other states. What I mean by that is if you look at other states they add 2-3 additional lanes

to the highways for future growth and unforeseen growth. Ohio is opposite. They wait until the last monment before they even start planning. I-75 is a prime example. That highway needed to be expanded YEARS ago. but it's still the same. Yet the continue to expand the suburban highways, but nothing in the inner core.

 

If you ever driven through Cincinnati you will notice the highway are wider outside the loop than inside.

 

Poor planning on both sides of the river.

^

That reminds me of the sound barrier walls that were just recently finished last year between the northern Dayton border and Needmore Rd. exit on I-75. Is it me, or aren't these walls gonna have to be torn down and rebuilt again when I-75 finally does get widened in about 10 years?

 

Talk about your poor planning! They didn't allow any room for highway expansion at all through that stretch. They'll be lucky to squeeze in 1 lane through there.

 

But it sure does look pretty! :roll:

^ Just like the bridge they spent a ton of time and money on on I-75 at the Paddock/Seymour exit. It's not wide enough to accomodate the proposed widening of I-75, even though the expansion plans were already going through studies at the time. Nice thinking!

Ohhh i noticed that too. Maybe it will be two bridges?? It's kinda cool. I drove under it the other night and it was the first time I saw the letters light up.

 

The Kenwood Rd bridge is going to be the same way. It will be a 8 lane bridge, but they didn't extend the pillars underneath for any expansion in the future on I-71.

The Kenwood Rd bridge is going to be the same way. It will be a 8 lane bridge' date=' but they didn't extend the pillars underneath for any expansion in the future on I-71.[/quote']

 

(Montgomery Rd Bridge BTW)

 

Since the I-71 widening plans don't exist and may never materialize, the cost of having the bridge accommodate a possible future widening of I-71 wasn't justified. The 4 Span bridge would have most likely have to be converted to a 3 span bridge with heftier beams; therefore requiring the bridge to be jacked further, total rebuild of the abutments etc...In short a whole new bridge....Highway funds are scarce, so millions of dollars can’t be justifiably spent to accommodate projects that may never be built.

 

Accommodating future projects was S.O.P back in the 'ole days, when they thought for certain everything would be built, and the Feds were throwing $$ out there like crazy for new construction (witness the US 50 interchange in Milford and the US 27 interchange on I-74 both built for future expressway connections)...now money is tight b/c we have to maintain what they built like crazy in the 50s to the 70s.

^ On the I-74/US-27--are you talking about the "Colerain Connector" or the exit ramps themselves? Because the ramps were re-done as an afterthought.

The easy answer to all this is flying cars.

:stupid: [/u]

^ Just like the bridge they spent a ton of time and money on on I-75 at the Paddock/Seymour exit. It's not wide enough to accomodate the proposed widening of I-75' date=' even though the expansion plans were already going through studies at the time. Nice thinking![/quote']

 

Kevin don't get me started on that one. I love that bridge but want to bitch smack the idiot that made the decision not to widen it to accomidate future expansion.

 

Oh and they are saying 2 years for this? HAHA

 

No way in todays time is that stretch going to be completed in 2 years.

>Ohio does not think ahead like other states.

 

Ever spent any time in Tennessee?

 

> What I mean by that is if you look at other states they add 2-3 additional lanes

to the highways for future growth and unforeseen growth.

 

Look up TN-840, which has been partially been built around Nashville. Imagine an I-875 outside Cincinnati's I-275 and you get the idea. It did not qualify for interstate status and federal funding because it is spectacularly unnecessary, yet TDOT went ahead with it anyway, footing almost all of the $1 billion price tag itself. For a state with less than half the population of Ohio, it's a significant burden. I've driven on the completed segment, and you can quite literally drive for a mile without seeing another car. Subsequent progress has been stymied by country singer Ashley Judd, who owns a large piece of wooded property the highway needs. So this highway fragment is going to sit there, barely used, for decades.

 

 

>Ohio is opposite. They wait until the last monment before they even start planning. I-75 is a prime example. That highway needed to be expanded YEARS ago. but it's still the same. Yet the continue to expand the suburban highways, but nothing in the inner core.

 

Suburban AND rural highways. Urban highways are generally more expensive and controversial to widen.

^ On the I-74/US-27--are you talking about the "Colerain Connector" or the exit ramps themselves? Because the ramps were re-done as an afterthought.

 

Yes...I think the ramps actually built were supposed to be part of a larger interchange. They did clear for some of the mainline Connector to Hamilton Ave, witness the big mound of dirt and cleared parcels

I always thought that that would be a great spot for development and the revitalization of the Colerain/West Fork/Virginia corner. Access to whatever was built there would have to be from Virginia Ave., though.

 

jmecklenborg has excellent stuff about that interchange on his Cincinnati Transit site if you haven't seen it:

http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/74-1.html

http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/74-2.html

The only clear justification I could see for the completion of the Colerain Connector would be if Hamilton Ave. attracted more semi and delivery truck traffic. Perhaps with completion of the connector it would, but that's not really a good thing for what is mostly a residential area. I agree that some kind of shopping center would be preferable to the lot that is there now, but those streets are somewhat narrow so they might not be able to handle more traffic without causing trouble. That was "my exit" for 18 years, and I can't remember ever seeing any kind of serious traffic congestion there. That's definitely in part because the interchange is incomplete -- you can't get on I-74 westbound without rounding a few blocks to the ramp that comes off of some street whose name I don't know. The eastbound entrance ramp from the bottom of Colerain Ave. works well, and the exit ramp onto whatever that feeder road is, facing the mound, works well too. Traffic stacks up there but you almost always get through on the first green light.

Elmore?

 

The I-74/Beekman ramp hits Colerain.

 

Still others require a drive through...well, blah.

 

Montana Ave. also suffers from a lack of access.

The only clear justification I could see for the completion of the Colerain Connector would be if Hamilton Ave. attracted more semi and delivery truck traffic. Perhaps with completion of the connector it would' date=' but that's not really a good thing for what is mostly a residential area.[/quote']

 

The eastbound entrance ramp from the bottom of Colerain Ave. works well' date=' and the exit ramp onto whatever that feeder road is, facing the mound, works well too. Traffic stacks up there but you almost always get through on the first green light.[/quote']

 

I think it was worse a few years ago, as a Co-op, I did traffic counts there for the <mumble> project. Traffic did back up coming down the hill from Colerain at Virginia, most of the traffic peeled off to the I-74 ramp. I think since Cross County/Reagan Highway was finished, some of the Colerain and Hamilton Traffic was diverted to there.

 

Although what sense is the Cross County I-75 interchange without "exit only" lanes connected to the Paddock interchange? They also replaced that ped bridge a few years back and put the pier in the way of the exit only lanes...nice

The I-75/CC Hwy interchange is a joke. Then again, I don't use interstates inside of the city and I use Hamilton or Colerain to get downtown.

This is kinda off-topic but traffic counting sucks bad. I currently have to do them right now cuause i'm the co-op. Nothing sucks worse than siting in your car for 2 hours and hitting a button 6,000 times.

From the 2/3/05 Cincinnati Enquirer:

 

Public to get bridge update

Part of new Hamilton span in use

By Perry Schaible

Enquirer contributor

 

HAMILTON - Construction of a new six-lane High-Main Bridge has not hurt business at the Cozy Café, a breakfast-and-lunch shop east of the bridge on High Street.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050203/NEWS01/502030382/1056/news01

 

Replacement of this bridge has been an issue for a while.  It was a question in '95 when I ran for council.  They needed to do something about it and my only concern was they would use it as an excuse to demo the existing/former Art Deco Municipal Building for a new bridge approach on the east side. A bunch of people wanted to save the bridge but it wasn't that great in my opinion.  We've had nicer ones including a suspension bridge, iron truss bridge and a covered bridge long ago.

 

Picture of old truss bridge before 1913 Floor wiped it out from rootsweb.com

 

 

  The old bridge was pretty but I think it had structural problems. I am happy that the new bridge does not look bad.

 

  Look at all the storefronts in that view. Also, the next block north was full of buildings whereas now it is a sea of parking lots.

   

From the 2/7/05 Cincinnati Post:

 

 

Planners: Repair I-471

By Luke E. Saladin

Post staff reporter

 

Janice Tyler pointed in the direction of Interstate 471 from the parking lot at Newport on the Levee, where a long line of cars were starting to pack in for lunch hour.

 

"This whole area, it's always like this," said Tyler, 47, of Newport, who was there to eat with some friends. "On the weekends, the whole area is packed. -- At night the ramp is backed up all the way to the highway."

 

http://www.cincypost.com/2005/02/07/road020705.html

 

I never even thought of combining it with the northbound ramps.  There's lots of space for expansion there, and that would have to flow better - time the lights right and that might solve the problem with minimal loss of private property.  Hopefully they can make this change soon, because it's currently a very dangerous situation...depending on how you approach, you have to cross 4 lanes of traffic and merge into a lane of stopped traffic, while three lanes of thru traffic try to zoom past...just a bad situation...

It definitely needs to be fixed.  Newport on the Levee changed everything.

^Agreed.

Please attend if you can.

 

 

The Niehoff Urban studio is pleased to present a public presentation

 

Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2005

 

Location: 110 East Central Parkway (corner of Walnut and Central Parkway)

The Emery Center - The UC Niehoff Urban Studio and UC Community Design Center5:00 pm

> Open House Exhibit and public meeting for the unveiling of the NEW CENTRAL

> PARKWAY LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENT PLAN by the Cincinnati Park Board and the

> Ohio Department of Transportation

>

>6:00 pm

>Urbanists sponsored presentation

>"WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE OVER-THE-RHINE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN" by

>Liz Blume, former City Planning Department Director

>Des Bracey, 3CDC OTR Coordinator

>Open and free to the public. Refreshments available at the Coffee Emporium

> until 6pm

>

>PUBLIC MEETING FOR CENTRAL PARKWAY LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

>The public is invited to attend a meeting to view a plan for the

> enhancement of the medians along the section of Central Parkway between 12th Street and Sycamore.

The project is funded by the City of Cincinnati and the Ohio Department of

> Transportation.

>Where: 110 East Central Parkway

>When: February 15, 2005 at 5:00 PM

>Purpose: To share a concept plan and obtain public comment.

>The improvements are intended to make the parkway's landscape

> more sustainable and easier to maintain, and to make the parkway medians

> more attractive.

> For further information call the Cincinnati Park Board at 475-9600.

>

>ATTENTION URBANISTS:

>

> Have you wondered whatever happened to the comprehensive plan for

> Over-The-Rhine? If so, you are not alone....

>

> NEXT WEEK THE URBANISTS WILL AGAIN TURN THEIR FOCUS TO OVER-THE-RHINE AND

> THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

>

> On Tuesday, February 15, 2005, beginning at 5:00 p.m., the Niehoff Studio

> will be hosting the Urbanists. THE CINCINNATI PARK BOARD will be unveiling

> the newest Central Parkway Median Design. Come and see what happens when

> creative minds put their energy toward a project of this magnitude.

>

> Following the unveiling, Liz Blume will discuss the Over-The-Rhine

> Comprehensive Plan and its progress to date.

>

> Then, Des Bracey of 3CDC, will be on hand to answer questions about its

> role in Over-The-Rhine and the comprehensive plan.

>

> This event will be beginning a bit earlier to coincide with the unveiling.

> Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with the presentation getting underway around 5:30

> p.m. Liz and Des will begin speaking around 6:00 p.m. This is a great

> chance to learn more about the exciting things happening in

> Over-The-Rhine.

>

 

I added this to the calendar.

 

BTW, I'd like to attend but I'm not sure I can make it as of now.

Unfortunately I've scheduled myself for another obligation that night and can't make it. I wonder what's planned for the median? I don't think it looks bad.  Just give the trees a few more years to fill in.

 

If anyone makes it to the presentation, please post information afterward. Thanks.

Putting more park into the parkway

Trees, public art, walkway in plans

By Gregory Korte| Enquirer staff writer

 

The Cincinnati Park Board will hold a public meeting to seek comments on its plan to improve the Central Parkway median at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Cincinnati Community Design Center, 110 East Central Parkway. The Cincinnati Park Board will unveil plans Tuesday to give the Central Parkway median an $800,000 sprucing up.

 

But city officials don't want the plan to be just another road project. They're trying to create a long urban park with walkways and public art that recognizes the parkway's history - first as a canal that gave Over-the-Rhine its name, then as a two-mile subway project that went bankrupt in 1925, and finally as a major east-west traffic corridor.

 

The first phase will renovate the islands between Sycamore and Plum streets, then north to 12th Street. A future phase will extend the project to Liberty Street. The finished project will include new shade trees, with flowering trees and planters at each intersection; a new irrigation system (necessary because the subway underneath gives landscapers only two feet of topsoil); and decorative concrete walkways to make for easier crossings between downtown and Over-the-Rhine.

 

Full Story: http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=AB&Date=20050214&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=502140350&Ref=H3&Profile=1056&MaxW=600&title=1

The concept looks nice. I'm no horticulturist, but it would seem difficult to get trees as large as those pictured with only two feet of soil to work with.

I'm a little underwhelmed considering many of the renderings I've seen at the Niehoff studio. I had see one possibility that used futuristic arches (think Air Force Academy chapel) and integrated them with the subway to create some kind of community space, an art gallery perhaps.

 

Also, don't big trees have big roots? Are we going to allow them to invade the subway?

The street trees are nice.  I also share concerns about what kind of trees would grow best there.

Typically, there are procedures in which large trees would do well on Central Parkway (which is wide).  Though it isn't recommended, it is certainly plausable and has been done before.  All that matters is material (re: #57 gravel underneath a roadway with a 20' diameter growth-space).

Channel 9 I-TEAM report on the Paddock bridge. Very sad.

( The story is in dialogue so it looks kind of crappy. You can also follow the link at the bottom).

 

Reported/Produced by: Hagit Limor

Photographed by: Anthony Mirones

Updated: 02/13/05 22:27:10

 

 

(Brian Patrick on set)

SOMETIMES THE BEST INTENTIONS FALL FLAT.

(Julie O'Neal on set)

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR TAX DOLLARS; YOU DON'T WANT ANY WASTE. BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT THE I-TEAM'S HAGIT LIMOR MAY HAVE FOUND.

(Hagit Limor on set)

IT'S A BIG SHAME. EVERYONE CALLS A NEW BRIDGE INTO THE CITY OF CINCINNATI "EXCEPTIONAL", EVEN "BEAUTIFUL". BUT WHILE BRIDGES ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST UP TO 100 YEARS, THIS ONE'S FACING THREATS EVEN BEFORE ITS FINAL WALK-THROUGH INSPECTION.

(Hagit Limor narration) IT GREETS YOU AS YOU DRIVE I-75 INTO THE CITY OF CINCINNATI.

(Michael Ciotola on videotape) "It's a beautiful new bridge."

(Hagit Limor narration) A NEW BRIDGE THAT'S ALREADY WON A NATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL AWARD.

(Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "I think it's very pretty."

(Hagit Limor narration) IT COST FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

(Ray McDaniel on videotape) "It's a nice bridge, well worth it."

(Hagit Limor narration) BUT NOW, IT MAY HAVE TO GO.

(Joe Vogel on videotape) "It would be a huge shame."

(Hagit Limor narration) AND A HUGE WASTE OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS. YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE WHY SOMETHING GOOD COULD CAUSE SOMETHING BAD, AS THE I-TEAM ASKS:

(Hagit Limor on videotape) "Do you understand why some people consider this project a waste of money?"

(Hagit Limor narration) EVELYN OSBORNE PEERS OUT HER KITCHEN WINDOW AND SMILES AT THE VIEW.

(Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "I'm very proud of that. I call it my bridge." (laughs)

(Hagit Limor narration) THAT'S BECAUSE SHE SUFFERED THROUGH MORE THAN A YEAR AS WORKERS BUILT IT.

(Osborne on videotape) "Seemed like an eternity. If you wanted to sleep in, you could forget that 'cause the pounding, it even shaked our windows."

(Hagit Limor narration) BUT OSBORNE LOVES THE RESULT, AND SO DOES THE CITY OF CINCINNATI.

(Joe Vogel, City Engineer on videotape) "Clearly, it's a beautiful bridge. We wanted to make a statement as people come into the city. This is a gateway to Cincinnati."

(Hagit Limor narration) AND THAT'S WHY WE SPENT SO MUCH TO BUILD IT. BUT NOW, EVEN BEFORE THE FINAL WALK-THROUGH COMPLETING THIS PROJECT, ANOTHER PROJECT MIGHT THREATEN THE BRIDGE.

(Hagit Limor narration) IT'S CALLED "THROUGH THE VALLEY." THE PLAN IS TO WIDEN I-75 TO RELIEVE THE DAILY CONGESTION AND GRIDLOCK.

(Michael Ciotola/Project Manager on videotape) "The project stretches from Paddock Road to 275, about seven miles."

(Hagit Limor narration) PADDOCK ROAD? BUT ISN'T THAT WHERE WE JUST BUILT THE BRIDGE? DOES THIS LOOK LIKE ENOUGH ROOM FOR ANY MORE LANES? EVEN THE PROJECT MANAGER THE STATE HIRED TO OVERSEE THE ROAD WIDENING NOTICED A PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME HE DROVE IN FROM COLUMBUS.

(Michael Ciotola on videotape) "Coming down through here seeing that bridge, it's a pretty nice bridge. Then I started looking at the width and then I started having some questions."

(Hagit Limor narration) HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE.

(Ray McDaniel on videotape) "The bridge doesn't fit the project."

(Hagit Limor narration) RAY MCDANIEL SPENT TWENTY YEARS AS AN OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INSPECTOR. HE'S SO UPSET HE SHOWED UP AT THIS HEARING EXPLAINING THE I-75 EXPANSION TO COMPLAIN TO THE PROJECT MANAGER.

(Ray McDaniel on videotape) "He told me, 'Yea, you're right. It will have to come down.' And that's a lot of moolah, a lot of money, waste of taxpayers' money."

(Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "To know that they may have to tea some of that down just kills me because you know, that's just a waste of money."

(Jay Hamilton/ODOT Planning Engineer on videotape) "If we have to go anything beyond four lanes, I can really understand why they would see it as being a waste of money."

(Hagit Limor narration) JAY HAMILTON IS THE AREA PLANNING ENGINEER FOR ODOT, WHICH WORKED ON THE BRIDGE AND WILL WORK ON THE I-75 PROJECT. HE SAYS PLANS FOR THE BRIDGE STARTED IN '95.

(Jay Hamilton on videotape) "At the time we didn't have any idea that we were going to get any funding for any of the widening to 75." (Hagit Limor) "So it seemed like a good idea at the time?" (Hamilton) "Oh yeah, yeah."

(Hagit Limor narration) SO WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? WHILE INITIAL ANALYSIS SHOWED I-75 NEEDS TO EXPAND BY TWO LANES, TO A TOTAL OF FIVE IN EACH DIRECTION, THE STATE IS CONSIDERING PUNTING BACK TO FOUR.

(Jay Hamilton on videotape) "We could squeeze a fourth lane in each direction under the bridge."

(Hagit Limor narration) BUT AT THE COST OF SCULPTING OUT THE BOTTOM 14 FEET OF THE DECORATIVE SUPPORT COLUMNS, TO STILL END UP WITH VERY NARROW SHOULDERS, ONLY FOUR TO SIX FEET WIDE INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD TWELVE FEET. YOU'D HATE TO BREAK DOWN HERE.

EVEN WORSE, THE SOLUTION MIGHT COST MORE GRIDLOCK. THE STATE HAS A SYSTEM TO GRADE HOW WELL ROADS HANDLE TRAFFIC, A TO F. A IS AWESOME; F MEANS GRIDLOCK. WITH FIVE LANES, WE'D SCORE A "D", MEANING THE ROAD IS FULL BUT YOU CAN DRIVE AT ALMOST THE POSTED SPEED. AT FOUR LANES, WE MIGHT CROSS INTO LEVEL "E", MEANING YOU HAVE TO REDUCE SPEED. DO WE REALLY WANT TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND YEARS OF ORANGE BARRELS TO GET ONE LEVEL ABOVE "F"?

(Jay Hamilton on videotape) "It would definitely have to be a consideration. It may be that they decide they want to do the five lanes, and if we have to go anything beyond four lanes, then the bridge does have to be replaced."

(Ciotola on videotape) "Obviously we would love to come up with something that doesn't require that. It would be a shame to have to reconstruct that bridge that just got finished and opened not too long ago."

(Hagit Limor narration) THE CITY ECHOES THAT THOUGHT.

(Joe Vogel on videotape) "We love that bridge. We really do."

(Hagit Limor narration) CITY ENGINEER JOE VOGEL SAYS A NEW BRIDGE SHOULD LAST FROM FIFTY TO ONE-HUNDRED YEARS.

(Joe Vogel on videotape) "And there are a lot of times we build things we think are going to be around a long time, and other forces come into play and change the equation. Unfortunately that does happen, but you know, we try to plan the best we can, but we don't have a crystal ball."

(Hagit Limor narration) VOGEL AND ODOT'S HAMILTON STILL HOPE THE FOUR-LANE SOLUTION WORKS. BUT EITHER SET OF COSTS RANKLE EVELYN OSBORNE.

(Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "That's just money down the tube."

(Hagit Limor on set) ODOT SAYS SHAVING THE DECORATIVE COLUMNS TO FIT IN A FOURTH LANE WOULD COST LESS THAN $100,000. THE BIGGER ISSUE IS THE SLOWER TRAFFIC FLOW THAN FIVE LANES WOULD ALLOW. THE STATE STILL IS MULLING OVER THAT ISSUE.

(Brian Patrick on set) HOW LONG MIGHT THAT TAKE?

(Hagit Limor on set) IT COULD BE THIS YEAR OR NEXT. THE ROAD WORK ISN'T SET TO START FOR FIVE YEARS... SO WE'LL GET AT LEAST THAT MUCH TIME OUT OF OUR GATEWAY BRIDGE.

 

    Here's the link:

http://www.wcpo.com/wcpo/localshows/iteam/22a4fe01.html

Wow, that's almost readable.  ;)

 

I saw this last night, too.  Yeah, it's pretty shitty that things are going down the way they are.  I'll bet they end up cramming in a 4th lane and making the fifth lane an exit only, and then beginning it again on the other side of the bridge.

 

There was a little bit of talk about this in October, in this thread:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1212.0

 

Wow how could thay have just now found this out??.lol Anyone driving it knows it would have to be taken down while it was being built.

 

There is no pillar in the middle of the birdge, so 5 lanes can easily use it and they can build another bridge, but that would take away  some of the parking from the distillery plant on the westside Or they can build it on the eastside, but  that may require relocation of Summit road a 100 feet or so. Either way it's going to cost money. I would close the other bridge just beyond that(it's hardly used anyway) That will save money of building another bridge there also.

Holy ass...that's astonishing...I'm nearly speechless...

I'm astonished that they didn't design it for 5 or more lanes, or at least 4.  Did they expect I-75 to be 6 total lanes through that stretch forever.  I mean, hell, I'm no transportation engineer but I could see that the highway would be expanded eventually.

 

UNUSUALFIRE--Are you talking about the Seymour Ave. bridge? Plenty of people use that bridge.

Well since paddock was widen. I don't think there would be a need for that bridge anymore. That was just my cost saving plan.lol

Stop moving to West Chester and we won't have these issues!

I'm astonished that they didn't design it for 5 or more lanes, or at least 4.  Did they expect I-75 to be 6 total lanes through that stretch forever.  I mean, hell, I'm no transportation engineer but I could see that the highway would be expanded eventually.

I was going to come in here and say something similar.  Why in the world would someone build a bridge like this without anticipating future highway widening??

The whole thing will have to go, because remember they will have to update it for safety too, so that's 11 foot shoulders inside and out. So Shaving will not help. Do the whole thing right this time.

>I was going to come in here and say something similar.  Why in the world would someone build a bridge like this without anticipating future highway widening??

 

Because there's no telling when the widening is going to happen and how they're going to reconfigure the interchange.  Dozens of provisions have been made for the 2nd Ave. subway in Manhattan over the last 50 years but its still decades away from happening.  All those provisions will be so old by the time the thing actually happens they'll have to be rebuilt.  And don't be sure that this I-75 widening will happen in the upcoming decade or even 30 years from now.  A dramatic spike in energy prices would not only cause people to drive less but would drive up the cost of construction materials.  I-75 is fairly congested but it's not the worst situation out there.  I-93 through downtown Boston had 25-50% more traffic than I-75 on the same number of lanes until the tunnel opened last year.     

True, but that tunnel cost 14 Billion?????????????????????? That's a capital BEE.  Taft just signed a bill last year to help widen I-75 and other Interstates around the state in it's 10 year plan.. I doubt it would stop because of rising energy costs.

True, but that tunnel cost 14 Billion?????????????????????? That's a capital BEE. Taft just signed a bill last year to help widen I-75 and other Interstates around the state in it's 10 year plan.. I doubt it would stop because of rising energy costs.

 

Well, the Paddock Road project was begun long before that bill was passed.  However, I still have to think it's pretty short-sighted not to allow for the possibility of future widening.  The chances that it would eventually expand beyond its current six total lanes has got to be high enough to warrant accounting for the possibility.  Anyone know how much more it would have cost to build it to accommodate the extra lanes?

 

If the idea was considered and rejected, for instance for the reasons that Jake cites, I may disagree with the reasoning.  But if the thought was never considered, which is how the newscast reads to me - that's inexcusable negligence.

Those idiots! Does anybody plan ahead in this city?

True, but that tunnel cost 14 Billion?????????????????????? That's a capital BEE. Taft just signed a bill last year to help widen I-75 and other Interstates around the state in it's 10 year plan.. I doubt it would stop because of rising energy costs.

 

Well, the Paddock Road project was begun long before that bill was passed. However, I still have to think it's pretty short-sighted not to allow for the possibility of future widening. The chances that it would eventually expand beyond its current six total lanes has got to be high enough to warrant accounting for the possibility. Anyone know how much more it would have cost to build it to accommodate the extra lanes?

 

If the idea was considered and rejected, for instance for the reasons that Jake cites, I may disagree with the reasoning. But if the thought was never considered, which is how the newscast reads to me - that's inexcusable negligence.

 

The typical design for a brand new overpass bridge would be to sink a pier in the median and use high abutments on the approaches, outside the clear zone, providing spans of 110' or so. I don't think the 2 span beams would be any deeper than the one span bridge built. I like the bridge when it was built, but wondered why they created a "choke" point with the abutments close in to the shoulders. I bet yout the engineers proposed the 2 span bridge, but the architects modified it without concern for the safety and future expansion

>  I bet yout the engineers proposed the 2 span bridge, but the architects modified it without concern for the safety and future expansion

 

Give me a break

 

My guess is the highway may get 5 lanes in each direction but it will remain 3 lanes southbound i think until the entire length from 275 and the Ohio river is widen. If not it will create a huge bottleneck between paddock and I-275 southbound.

 

In other words the extra lanes will be there but not stripped I think to prevent a huge bottleneck southbound.