Wait, how do you get Southbound on I-71 from MLK?

 

 

**Edit I see now it is Ramp D

 

Yeah it hasn't really taken shape yet because they are still modifying the south side of the old MLK overpass.

 

 

Man I can already tell that stretch of MLK is going to be a nightmare.  Starting from the East with a big traffic stop for Ramp A and Ramp B.  Then another traffic stop at Stanton Avenue exit (probably will stay mostly green there as traffic can't be that bad going onto Stanton?), then a really massive traffic stop on Ramp D and Ramp C.  I wonder if the lights are so close together people are going to be stuck inbetween stop lights.  They better have some moving guards in those intersections most times otherwise the mess will be even worse.

It's worth driving over there right now to see just how massive this is going to be.  It's going to draw a fraction of the traffic from various other ramps and it'll encourage use of 71 instead of Columbia Parkway/Taft by some east siders.  It's also going to motivate people in all of the neighborhoods between I-71 and I-75 to use I-71 when they had in the past exited at Mitchel Ave. and used Vine or Mitchel/Reading to get to the area.  And we have already talked in the past about the dramatic difference we'll surely see at the 71/Dorchester ramps. 

Are you talking about East side neighborhoods like southern half of Oakley, Madisonville and Madeira mostly?  Well I guess possibly some of Mt. Lookout and southern parts of Hyde Park possibly as well?

Yeah, someone in Fairfax, for example, might take Redbank to I-71 now instead of Columbia Parkway to Wm H Taft. 

The other major traffic difference will be those heading to the hospitals from Kentucky. Right now there is a ridiculously long line of traffic every morning from Reading Road at 71 to Burnet up to the hospitals.

 

 

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Yeah, someone in Fairfax, for example, might take Redbank to I-71 now instead of Columbia Parkway to Wm H Taft. 

 

Redbank is already a complete mess at both rush hours, thanks in no small part to Medpace and 5/3, from I-71 all the way down to Erie/Brotherton. 

 

What horrifies me just as much as the enormous suburban scale of this interchange, which still yields some pretty steep grades on those ramps, especially ramp B which looks like a ski jump, is the effect on surrounding streets.  The widening they've done to Gilbert and Reading have made already unpleasantly wide arterial streets even worse with double turn lanes and squeezing of the sidewalks.  Lincoln Avenue too, which makes no sense to me.  MLK itself is going to be 9 lanes wide between Harvey and I-71, with part of it being 10 lanes.  I mean holy shit!  And they're really expecting some sort of renaissance of pedestrian-friendly development here? 

Yeah, someone in Fairfax, for example, might take Redbank to I-71 now instead of Columbia Parkway to Wm H Taft. 

 

This is especially true now that so many people rely on GPS directions for every trip. I am always surprised when I get in a car with someone, going somewhere they have been before, and they pull up directions on their phone. If Google now determines that it's 1 minute quicker to use the new MLK interchange, it'll take them that way instead of the way they used to go.

MLK itself is going to be 9 lanes wide between Harvey and I-71, with part of it being 10 lanes.  I mean holy S**t!  And they're really expecting some sort of renaissance of pedestrian-friendly development here?

 

Yes.

Yeah, someone in Fairfax, for example, might take Redbank to I-71 now instead of Columbia Parkway to Wm H Taft. 

 

This is especially true now that so many people rely on GPS directions for every trip. I am always surprised when I get in a car with someone, going somewhere they have been before, and they pull up directions on their phone. If Google now determines that it's 1 minute quicker to use the new MLK interchange, it'll take them that way instead of the way they used to go.

 

I generally never use GPS for local trips... the only exception is when I suspect I might hit bad traffic, since I would rather take an alternate route to avoid backups. The last couple of years have shown a big improvement in the quality of real time traffic data. I suspect that in a few more years, we will see better "predictive traffic apps" that will tell people if they should wait a bit longer at the office to avoid rush hour. I can imagine Google, in the future, being able to send you a notification that suggests when you should leave your office, or alternatively when it'd be better to wait at your office for traffic to clear.

 

Most roads in Cincinnati only get congested for a relatively short period of time. So, if we could encourage drivers to avoid those congestion windows, we could solve a lot of "traffic problems" without needing to build absurdly large, expensive highways.

Yeah, someone in Fairfax, for example, might take Redbank to I-71 now instead of Columbia Parkway to Wm H Taft. 

 

This is especially true now that so many people rely on GPS directions for every trip. I am always surprised when I get in a car with someone, going somewhere they have been before, and they pull up directions on their phone. If Google now determines that it's 1 minute quicker to use the new MLK interchange, it'll take them that way instead of the way they used to go.

 

I generally never use GPS for local trips... the only exception is when I suspect I might hit bad traffic, since I would rather take an alternate route to avoid backups. The last couple of years have shown a big improvement in the quality of real time traffic data. I suspect that in a few more years, we will see better "predictive traffic apps" that will tell people if they should wait a bit longer at the office to avoid rush hour. I can imagine Google, in the future, being able to send you a notification that suggests when you should leave your office, or alternatively when it'd be better to wait at your office for traffic to clear.

 

Most roads in Cincinnati only get congested for a relatively short period of time. So, if we could encourage drivers to avoid those congestion windows, we could solve a lot of "traffic problems" without needing to build absurdly large, expensive highways.

 

Not exactly what you said, but Google does have information about your route home before you even leave without you having to ask for it. My phone would tell me how long my trip home would be from work because it knew where I worked and lived based on my daily routine. Never once entered that route into Google Maps but it learned it. And if Columbia Parkway was slow for some reason it would tell me and suggest alternate routes Not that I needed them to know how to get home fastest, but it was nice knowing beforehand that there was an accident and Columbia Parkway was a parking lot. Otherwise I'd have to get to it and find that out in person which sucked.

 

Google would also alert me to traffic incidents up ahead if I was on a major road or highway even if I didn't have GPS on. It would just assume you're continuing on that road and would ask if you wanted an alternate route around the incident to get back on track. It was nice a few times when there were accidents on 71 North on my way back up to Cleveland and it would let me know well before I hit the traffic to get off and go around.

 

My phone also now knows what subway I take to get to work and around what time I generally leave work and lets me know how train service is at that time and how much shorter or longer than normal it will take me to get home if I left right at that time. Useful information.

 

If I do a random google search for something on my laptop it'll also pop up on my phone and ask if I want to start navigation to whatever it was I looked up. Which is comical at times when searching for something in, say, Tokyo (which I'm going to in March) and it'll bring up flights to book last minute if I want. Like, yes Google, I want to purchase that $4,000 plane ticket to go see this random building RIGHT NOW.

^haha... I love that example of the flights to Tokyo. It's still early days for the "digital personal assistant" technology. In some ways, it's trying to do more today than it's capable of. But, we can already see how much better it is today than just a few years ago. Recent example: Google Maps knows if I have a reservation at a hotel and will place a marker on the map showing that hotel, which is super helpful when I'm on my phone exploring a city I'm about to visit.

 

Anyways... sorry to derail this thread. Long story short: I hope that better technology will allow for smaller highways in the future, so that we don't have to build urban monsters like the new MLK interchange. I am glad we are adding access to MLK; I just wish it weren't so humongous. 

The best is when you're in the car with a bunch of women and they insist on taking GPS directions to some place where you, like, used to live. 

^well that's pretty sexist

Wait, how do you get Southbound on I-71 from MLK?

 

 

**Edit I see now it is Ramp D

 

Yeah it hasn't really taken shape yet because they are still modifying the south side of the old MLK overpass.

 

 

Man I can already tell that stretch of MLK is going to be a nightmare.  Starting from the East with a big traffic stop for Ramp A and Ramp B.  Then another traffic stop at Stanton Avenue exit (probably will stay mostly green there as traffic can't be that bad going onto Stanton?), then a really massive traffic stop on Ramp D and Ramp C.  I wonder if the lights are so close together people are going to be stuck inbetween stop lights.  They better have some moving guards in those intersections most times otherwise the mess will be even worse.

BTW: Stanton will pass under the MLK overpass and will not have an intersection with MLK

It's going to be ~.2 miles between the two new stoplights on MLK between the SB and NB ramps. I'm not too concerned about backups between those lights.

 

There will be shorter distances between the ramps and the Reading and Gilbert lights. The only place where backups might be a problem would be if lots of traffic tries to turn left from westbound MLK onto Reading, but I don't think that will be the case since if you want to go south on Reading, you'd probably be better served getting off at the WH Taft exit.

 

 

^well that's pretty sexist

 

THIS is sexist:

Has ODOT published new estimates for when various portions of this project are expected to be finished?

 

Their website still says that most will be finished by Fall 2016, but it appears like there is still a lot of work left (though I could be over-estimating). Three of the four new MLK ramps are supposed to be done by Fall 2016. Only the southbound onramp is estimated to take until Summer 2017 to finish.

 

https://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D08/Pages/I-71-MLK-Interchange-Project-Info.aspx

 

 

 

Looks like the DOT updated their website (image filename remains the same, so the embedded image makes my previous post confusing - ), now saying that most of the ramps won't open until Spring 2017. Ramp B still says it was supposed to be completed in "November 2016" which didn't happen. So far, I haven't seen any media coverage about how this project is behind schedule.

^ It's quite typical. I've been monitoring the websites for the various I-75 construction projects and nearly every phase is over budget and behind schedule from original estimates. Yet the Enquirer would never write an article calling out ODOT.

Ramp E is finally taking shape.  Pretty much everything else was almost finished before they even started on it. 

Is it me or do  the ornamental pylons on the MLK bridge look like they are made out of legos.

 

Is it me or do  the ornamental pylons on the MLK bridge look like they are made out of legos.

 

 

they look like they should grace the entry to the Lawrenceburg Casino

When I first saw them I was reminded of the Forest Fair Mall.

It just go worse.  The weird casino-type pylons are now the towers for a faux cable-stayed bridge adornment.  You can't make this stuff up.  No matter where you go in the state you get the impression that ODOT is staffed by a small army of complete knuckleheads. 

Also, the widening of the bridge has taken its final shape and it has the effect of making the whole thing look shorter and less massive than it is.  Like, if this thing had been built by the Romans, it would have been almost the biggest thing in the world.  And it would have looked way cooler. 

Another story on the development planned for the SE corner of Reading & MLK:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2017/01/16/reshaping-reading-mlk-corridor-starts-project/96632126/

Anyone notice the drains on the bridge that stick out about 5 feet from the curb and would easily flatten bike tires? 

According to ODOT, the new ramp from MLK to I-71 Northbound will open next Monday morning, April 24 at 9 a.m., and the ramp from McMillan to I-71 N will be closed at that time for construction.

The 2-way portion of McMillan is going to be extended from May St to 71, so that traffic going westbound on McMillan will be able to get onto I-71 N. The northbound ramp from McMillan is going to be widened, presumably so that it can accommodate two lanes of traffic that will merge prior to merging onto 71. 

 

 

I heard at a bar tonight that Neyer Properties just bought out a single family house holdout near this interchange for $900k. 

Interstate 71 interchange to open Monday after six-month delay

 

The opening of a highly anticipated new ramp to Interstate 71 takes place Monday morning.

 

The ramp from Martin Luther King Drive to northbound I-71 will open to traffic at 9 a.m. Monday. The following week, the ramp from McMillan Street to northbound I-71 will be closed at 9 a.m. on May 1 and remain closed through June 30. Traffic during that period will be detoured using the new MLK/I-71 ramp.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/21/interstate-71-interchange-to-open-monday-after-six.html

Large parcel (2.14 acres) at corner of Beecher/Stanton is up for sale/lease. It's not clear whether or not this parcel would have access via curbcuts on MLK or if the only access would be off of Beecher/Stanton, but based on the rendering, it seems to show an entrance to parking garage from Beecher. The parking garage would raise the building up to the elevation of MLK. I don't take the rendering to be a final design... but I'm afraid we're going to get a lot of suburban office park buildings. 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/05/02/exclusive-2-acre-redevelopment-planned-near-mlk.html?ana=twt

 

http://looplink.natl.cbre.us/xNet/Looplink/TmplEngine/ListingProfilePage.aspx?stid=cbre7&LID=20296075&LL=true&UOMListing=&UOMMoneyCurrency=&RentPer=PY&SRID=9178558294

Notice that Kulkarni Properties is behind this project. Shree Kulkarni was a big Cranley donor and sat on the Historic Conservation Board when they allowed the demolition of the Dennison Hotel. I wouldn't expect anything they build to be quality walkable urbanism.

He did vote for demolition on the Historic Conservation Board, but the HCB as a whole voted 3-2 against demo. It was the Zoning Board of Appeals that reversed that decision and allowed demolition to begin.

Work has also began on repaving I-71 from the Norwood Lateral to the Lytle Tunnel.

This monstrosity is nearly finished.

 

 

 

 

It's so cute that Uptown Consortium thinks there is going to be "walkable development" built surrounding this new interchange and all of these widened arterials. While the new development might technically be "walkable" (built up to the street, retail on the first floor, etc.), no one with a car is going to choose to walk around this part of the city. Parts of MLK are now 9 lanes wide. There is going to be a constant roar from all the traffic speeding by, making it very uncomfortable to be a pedestrian on those streets. The road is also going to be extremely unsafe for bikes, although I think they designated the northern sidewalk as a bike path along most of MLK.

They would have been better off building a roundabout at Reading and MLK. It may not have helped much with walkability but it would have taken less space and looked better.

Do we know if ODOT is going to dismantle the old Fredonia Ave. and Conrail bridge pilings? They are hideous.

Do we know if ODOT is going to dismantle the old Fredonia Ave. and Conrail bridge pilings? They are hideous.

 

Eventually they will

Advocates worry road project overlooks public transit needs

 

CINCINNATI -- After more than three years of work, Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive will finally have its facelift. But some are worried that the road's redesign didn't do enough to think about non-motorists.

 

"(The Ohio Department of Transportation's) name isn't 'Department of Highways,'" said Derek Bauman, public transit advocate, Over-the-Rhine resident, and candidate for City Council. "I'd like them to take all modes of transportation into account."

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation is spearheading the $80 million MLK/Interstate 71 interchange project, which began in 2014. The project -- which included two new interstate entrance ramps, road widening, new traffic signals and a new bridge -- is expected to wrap up by the end of summer 2017.

 

Cont

It's not technically part of the Uptown Access Project, but here's a view of the construction on I-71 just north of the Lytle Tunnel:

 

Any excuse to use that drone!

I heard tonight on the radio that I-71 S to MLK ramp is opening tomorrow morning at 9am (7/13).

 

Last week the McMillan to 71N ramp reopened, but they have not completed the 2-way extension of McMillan westbound to that point.  This past Sunday there was a large cue of cars leaving the FC Cincinnati game at both the new ramp and the recently reopened ramp.  Traffic was bumper-to-bumper all the way to Jefferson/Vine on MLK, despite having a second 71N ramp to diffuse traffic. 

Why have we not heard anything about the final costs of this project?

I heard tonight on the radio that I-71 S to MLK ramp is opening tomorrow morning at 9am (7/13).

 

Also, the ramp from I-71 S to Taft is temporarily closed for the next 10 days.

I heard tonight on the radio that I-71 S to MLK ramp is opening tomorrow morning at 9am (7/13).

 

Last week the McMillan to 71N ramp reopened, but they have not completed the 2-way extension of McMillan westbound to that point.  This past Sunday there was a large cue of cars leaving the FC Cincinnati game at both the new ramp and the recently reopened ramp.  Traffic was bumper-to-bumper all the way to Jefferson/Vine on MLK, despite having a second 71N ramp to diffuse traffic. 

 

The signal to make a left turn from MLK onto the 71N ramp takes a very long time, and the series of signals on MLK to the west of 71 aren't coordinated very well. I imagine it's just a temporary setup still until the project is completed, but it seems the signals themselves are causing much of the backup.

Agreed...Currently getting from Jefferson to 71 using MLK is awful, the light cycles are very long for the cross streets so MLK backs up and gridlocks. And the arrows to get onto 71N are poorly executed as well. Hopefully this is fixed, as right now this huge investment is providing little value.

ODOT just sent out an email saying that the two way conversion of McMillan (allowing westbound McMillan to northbound 71) will happen next week on July 21:

 

On Friday, July 21, McMillan Street will be converted to a two-way street from May Street to the northbound I-71 on ramp.

 

This extension will allow westbound McMillan Street motorists to access northbound I-71.

 

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHDOT/bulletins/1a9c953

ODOT just sent out an email saying that the two way conversion of McMillan (allowing westbound McMillan to northbound 71) will happen next week on July 21:

 

On Friday, July 21, McMillan Street will be converted to a two-way street from May Street to the northbound I-71 on ramp.

 

This extension will allow westbound McMillan Street motorists to access northbound I-71.

 

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHDOT/bulletins/1a9c953

 

Good. Should be 2 way all the way to Vine

^Agreed!