Random question, but who owns the right of ways for interstates through individual cities, like 75 in Cincinnati?  I assume the Feds, but let's say if the Feds own it and the city wants to reduce the footprint or reconfigure or take it out all together (hypothetical of course), would the city have to buy back the rights of way?  Just curious

^ I don't know if it's the state or the municipality, but I know it's not the feds.  The Interstates are managed by the states, they just get money for them from the feds, that's why the pavement changes when you cross state lines. 

The ownership varies. Cincinnati owns the land under Fort Washington Way but ODOT obviously maintains the highway.

FWW is an unusual situation because the design and property acquisition predates the 1956 highway bill.  I-75 is an even odder situation since most of it in Hamilton County was built on the state-owned canal, which had been leased in 1916 to Cincinnati to build the Rapid Transit Loop.  The city made $32,000 annual lease payments to the state for the non-operating transit line for about 30 years.  Then the local portion of the Millcreek Expressway was funded with excess revenue from the Southern Railroad, made possible by a change in state law.  So if Cincinnati had not had the railroad revenue to fall back on, I-75 very well might have been built as a toll road. 

April 21, 2014:

 

 

 

 

 

End of the Hopple St. subway tunnel -- does not appear that the tunnel will be affected by the new bridge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location of old blue pedestrian bridge over Central Parkway:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It appears they are using painted beams for the outside structures and Corten steel elsewhere. Nice!

I can't read the full thing because I'm not a subscriber, but WCPO has an article asking why Duke Energy is such a strong supporter of building the new Brent Spence Bridge:

 

There’s no question Duke Energy Corp. has been one of the region’s leading business advocates for building the $2.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge replacement as quickly as possible.

 

But at least one local elected official has questioned why.

 

Covington City Commissioner Steve Frank, a vocal opponent of the use of tolls to fund the bridge project, said he wonders whether Duke’s own business interests have influenced the company’s advocacy.

 

At the very least, Frank said, citizens should know just how involved Duke has been in the Build Our New Bridge Now group that has been advocating for the project.

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/brent-spence-bridge-frank-questions-why-duke-energy-wants-26b-bridge-project-built-quickly

^ Isn't Duke getting partially reimbursed for moving their substation? Maybe it needed replacement/upgraded anyway and they'll be glad to have it paid for by tax dollars instead of out of their budget.

I thought Duke was paying for a lot (if not most) of that substation themselves.

A question about the northern access to 75 from Central Parkway. Is all access to & from 75 going to be channeled through that one ramp that curves around White Castle to the intersection on MLK?

I had thought there were going to be some ramps on the west side of the parkway.

I can't read these $#@! ODOT maps  - they're in engineerian.

 

thanks for any clarification

A question about the northern access to 75 from Central Parkway. Is all access to & from 75 going to be channeled through that one ramp that curves around White Castle to the intersection on MLK?

I had thought there were going to be some ramps on the west side of the parkway.

I can't read these $#@! ODOT maps  - they're in engineerian.

 

thanks for any clarification

 

I believe the I-75 N ramp near Cincinnati State will be eliminated, as will the I-74 E to Central Parkway south.  Bates Ave. ramp is not being replaced and temporary I-74 N ramp near the Budget Host will be eliminated.

 

Yes all access will be from Hopple St. 

 

I noticed that ODOT is installing those infamous "ramp meters" at the entrances from Mitchell Avenue to I-75. I bet every exit will have them once the rebuild is complete.

I can think of several places where those would be useful in rush hour.  Smith-Edwards to NB 71 for a start.

Ah hah, that's why the ramps are so much longer, so there's extra room to queue and to accelerate after the meters, plus the onramps are both uphill. 

The retaining walls going in right now at Mitchell are pretty gross.  Aesthetically this project is a mess. 

I noticed that ODOT is installing those infamous "ramp meters" at the entrances from Mitchell Avenue to I-75. I bet every exit will have them once the rebuild is complete.

They will be system wide. Also On I-71 starting with the MLK interchange.

 

http://www.i75millcreekexpressway.com/images/pdfs/IMS/IMS%2005-05-2009%20Final.pdf

 

Metering is also going to be installed at Fields Ertle and I-71 in 2015.

 

http://www.wceo.us/pages/I%252d71-%7B47%7D-Fields%252dErtel-Road-%7B47%7D-Mason%252dMontgomery-Road-Interchange.html

I'm sorry to report that even after this rebuild, water continues to pool at the Mitchell Ave. interchange.  Specifically, in the right lane just north of the northbound on-ramp.  I've seen police block this lane during big storms in the past.  This morning they were't there and at about 45mph my car almost completely stopped and stalled out in over a foot of standing water.  I had my battery check light come on for the first time in my life -- this happens when water is so deep that your timing belt and serpentine belt are partially underwater, slip, and prevent the engine from turning the alternator which means the battery is not being recharged. 

 

This project is taking way too long and they haven't even fixed the grading of this curve. 

 

 

 

I'm sorry to report that even after this rebuild, water continues to pool at the Mitchell Ave. interchange.  Specifically, in the right lane just north of the northbound on-ramp.  I've seen police block this lane during big storms in the past.  This morning they were't there and at about 45mph my car almost completely stopped and stalled out in over a foot of standing water.  I had my battery check light come on for the first time in my life -- this happens when water is so deep that your timing belt and serpentine belt are partially underwater, slip, and prevent the engine from turning the alternator which means the battery is not being recharged. 

 

This project is taking way too long and they haven't even fixed the grading of this curve. 

 

 

 

 

The Mitchell Avenue interchange should be completed by September 2014. The cost of this single interchange was $53.6 million.

I took my car into the garage this morning to get worked on.  I popped the hood and the battery had actually been knocked loose from its mount due to the high water. 

Other half of the Mitchell Ave. overpass under construction:

 

 

 

Other half of the Clifton Ave. overpass under construction:

 

 

 

Most of the beams for the new Hopple St. overpass are in place:

 

 

I can't remember - but what are the bike provisions for the Hopple St. interchange? I know that a bike path is being built as part of the MLK widening project going up the hill - but that'll connect right into this project and that of Central Parkway's bike path.

I can't remember - but what are the bike provisions for the Hopple St. interchange? I know that a bike path is being built as part of the MLK widening project going up the hill - but that'll connect right into this project and that of Central Parkway's bike path.

 

There will be a new bike path on the north side of MLK from the new overpass to Good Sam.  I don't know about the overpass itself. 

 

On July 4th I took advantage of the work stoppage and biked on I-75 for about a mile.  I noticed that the subway door was ajar and I biked in as far as I could without a light.  Turning the subway tunnels into an underground bike trail would be a lot of fun. 

Those tunnels, though clearly occupied (or at least they were a year ago when I ventured in them) would be a great, unique element in a bike/jogging/whatever path. It's a shame they just sit there being unused when they appeared to be in decent enough shape.

To see the construction plans for Hopple Street Interchange go here:

 

http://contracts.dot.state.oh.us/document/documentSearchCriteria.do

 

Key-in 76257 in the PID Number field and hit go

 

 

--8' sidewalks are proposed on the Hopple Bridge - See Sheets 1221, 1222 and 1223

 

and 945 thru 949.

 

It looks likethe bike path on MLK dives down to Central Parkway; to cross over the new Monmouth Overpass?

^No Documents found

Looks like they want to divert people from that looped ramp to 75 south.  I'd bet there won't even be a sidewalk on that side of the bridge.  I walked down that slope the other day and it was very, very steep.  I'm worried that even with the switchbacks it will discourage a lot of use of the path.  The alternative is to build a bike-only overpass north of the looped ramp, which would cost several million. 

Monmouth - the one with an absurdly wide roadway with an unused center lane? They could have easily made that into two bike lanes - or a divided bike path separated from automobiles.

^No Documents found

 

If you are at the page shown on the image: Hit advanced and select "Plans" under the CABINET drop down (upper right); Then you can hit it with the PID Number

(However the main search page you can find it with this project number 120599 )

Cincy State project: 'Dead' to 'done'

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/08/29/cincy-state-project-dead-done/14824987/

 

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is expected to maintain critical highway access from the West Side after all ...

 

"We still have a long way to go," Mayor John Cranley said. "But the big picture here is I worry about the West Side...."

 

The state now plans to pay for half of the bridge project... The city, which will own the connector, is on the hook for the other half. Cranley said he's not sure where the money will come from...

 

The tentative solution calls for a two-way I-75/Mill Creek overpass to be built from near Elmore Street and Spring Grove Avenue that would connect to Central Parkway next to Cincinnati State. The overpass would connect to a new surface street running parallel to I-74. Eastbound I-74 motorists would access the Cincinnati State connector at Beekman Street in South Cumminsville.

 

The new Hopple Street overpass is carrying traffic.

New Mitchell Avenue overpass coming along:

 

The new Hopple Street overpass is carrying traffic.

 

...and there was much rejoicing. 

I noticed yesterday that they started painting the bridge that goes over Clifton Avenue. I think I liked it better when it was just exposed concrete.

I wish they used some nicer textures on the MSE panels. I came across some nice ones ODOT did near Cleveland, where the facing was faux-rock and each "rock" was textured and colored differently. It was done at the plant where it was pre-cast.

 

Instead, we get the default fake rock with a slop of "cream white."

I kind of wish fake rock wasn't ever a thing. It's concrete, make it nice concrete. When done correctly it can look quite aesthetically pleasing. I've always found the fake rock thing ODOT loves to use now on any and all highway projects to look ridiculous. The worst offender being the type used in the Grove City (I think that's the right one at least) overpass just south of Columbus that's various shades of over-saturated beiges and browns. Trying to make concrete look like layered stone ranks up there in annoyance for me with trying to make a new building look historic.

That was the one I was referring to, I think :) I think that when you are going by at 70 MPH, that aesthetics are often overlooked. How much detail can you put into something when they drive by it at 70 MPH? I do like the aviation-related stamps along I-75 in Dayton - but the "historic" steetlamps used closer to downtown on some overpasses are just silly.

The new Hopple Street overpass is carrying traffic.

 

...and there was much rejoicing.

 

I was so relieved when I drove over it this morning.  Now I don't have to worry about being late for school anymore. 

Where is their ROW for future light rail? On top of that hell or the left side looking north of I-75?

Just came across this graphic on OKI's website. This appears to be the new Cranley Connector that will provide access to Cincinnati State:

 

 

Strangely it does not directly connect to either I-75 or I-74.

What it does is it aligns the little-used I-74E to Beekman St. ramps.  But what is the traffic count on the current Central Parkway ramp?  And the amount of traffic using the ramp now has no doubt been reduced after the Hopple St. overpass opened.  Sometimes in the past people used that ramp as an alternative to go to UC if they happened to see a lot of traffic bunching up at the 74/74 merge or simply because they were in the left lane and didn't feel like merging over to the right lane to exit at Hopple.  Now getting to MLK from the Central Parkway ramp means significantly more red lights thanks to the "jug handle". 

How about we include the rest of the Mill Creek Greenway plan with this wasteful ramp?

^ Is the plan to tear down all of the buildings in the red crosshatched area? Those are all pretty big industrial/warehouse buildings that are in use. I can't believe that plan is the best solution.

^ Is the plan to tear down all of the buildings in the red crosshatched area? Those are all pretty big industrial/warehouse buildings that are in use. I can't believe that plan is the best solution.

 

That's unclear. That cloverleaf from Spring Grove to I-74 has already been eliminated, so that could potentially be used as a location for a new building.

^ Is the plan to tear down all of the buildings in the red crosshatched area? Those are all pretty big industrial/warehouse buildings that are in use. I can't believe that plan is the best solution.

 

It's a solution to a non-existent problem. 

I don't get it. Are inbound drivers supposed to exit at Beekman Street and take Elmore to the new overpass to Cincinnati State?

 

Cincinnati State has a dramatic visual presence on the terrace as viewed from I-74. This gives visual confirmation that the current ramp is the way to get to Cincinnati State. If drivers do in fact have to exit at Beekman, they probably won't even be able to see Cincinnati State.

 

Plus, won't that be a very high overpass?

I don't get it. Are inbound drivers supposed to exit at Beekman Street and take Elmore to the new overpass to Cincinnati State?

 

Cincinnati State has a dramatic visual presence on the terrace as viewed from I-74. This gives visual confirmation that the current ramp is the way to get to Cincinnati State. If drivers do in fact have to exit at Beekman, they probably won't even be able to see Cincinnati State.

 

Plus, won't that be a very high overpass?

 

It would be a structure similar to the Ludlow Viaduct, I'm assuming. 

 

And what's so dumb about Cranley's "logistics" is that the CP ramp famously is only an inbound ramp.  Cincinnati State students wishing to go west on I-74 had to backtrack to Hopple St.  This proposed bridge would probably be only slightly faster to I-74 than backtracking to Hopple because of new traffic lights. 

 

So what you're saying is that it's a bad solution to a non-existent problem.

Basically.

 

Yes, everything in red will be razed under this plan. That's substantial structures used for light industrial purposes - tax generators, for what? A redundant road to serve a community college that isn't suffering even with indirect access as-is? I could get on board if a bike path was installed on the bridge separate from automobiles - to connect to the Central Parkway bike path and any potential Northside infrastructure - such as the Mill Creek Greenway.

Basically.

 

Yes, everything in red will be razed under this plan. That's substantial structures used for light industrial purposes - tax generators, for what? A redundant road to serve a community college that isn't suffering even with indirect access as-is? I could get on board if a bike path was installed on the bridge separate from automobiles - to connect to the Central Parkway bike path and any potential Northside infrastructure - such as the Mill Creek Greenway.

 

I've heard enrollment is down at Cincinnati State.

Probably because people found out that they could make more money working along Mill Creek than going to college.