I-71 Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project (PID 102790)
I-71 Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project (PID 102790)
THANK YOU FOR VISITING!
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is developing plans to replace the pedestrian bridge system that travels over I-71, the I-471 access ramps, and Gilbert Avenue/US 22. This system provides a direct connection between East Court Street in downtown Cincinnati and Van Meter Street in Mt. Adams.
Public involvement is an important part of project development and input received is being used to help guide the decisions we make. Additional Information about the project is provided throughout this site.
JANUARY 2023 UPDATE
The project team has completed the Feasibility Study for the replacement of the pedestrian bridge. This study identified and evaluated two possible replacement alternatives for the bridge. As part of the study process, the project team also gathered input from the public regarding the alternatives being considered.
Copies of the Feasibility Study, the Virtual Open House Summary Report (which summarizes public outreach efforts made and input received), and a document that provides ODOT’s responses to questions and comments received are provided in the Documents section of this site. The Documents section is located in the right-hand column of this page, under Project Contact (if you are on a smartphone or tablet, this may be located at the bottom of your page).
DECEMBER 2023 UPDATE
The project team has completed Stage 1 (preliminary) plans for the replacement pedestrian bridge. We have determined ODOT's baseline aesthetic treatments and have updated renderings reflecting those treatments. Any enhancements over these baseline treatments will be the responsibility of the City of Cincinnati to fund. We are asking the public for some feedback on some general enhancement treatments as this may help the City in making decisions on what they may want to do. If and when the City decides on enhanced aesthetic treatments we will notify the public with another project website update.
Additional renderings of the bridge not shown on the project website can be downloaded as PDF file here: High Resolution (146MB); Lower Resolution (17MB) This file is also found in the Documents section of this site. The Documents section is located in the right-hand column of this page, under Project Contact (if you are on a smartphone or tablet, this may be located at the bottom of your page).
ODOT continues to welcome questions and comments regarding the project. You can submit them in the DEC 2023 Update, Baseline Aesthetics, & Enhanced Aesthetics sections of this site (below) or by contacting ODOT’s Project Manager, Amy Shell, at Amy.Shell@dot.ohio.gov or (513) 933-6504.
Be sure to check back periodically as we will continue to post project updates on this site as they become available.
Please note that ODOT has listened to the publics comments and has tried to incorporate consensus features given our limited budget. ODOT District 8 (Cincinnati region) has responsibility to maintain over 1,500 bridges within our seven county region. Our annual bridge budget is roughly $34.6 million and we are spending approximately $6.2 million on this pedestrian bridge replacement project. That is roughly 18% of our annual bridge maintenance budget. The majority of the public had commented that the aesthetics of the bridge where very important to the community and that they wanted a truss bridge with art deco style aesthetics. Where the public's aesthetic requests and ODOT's goal of a low maintenance, long lasting bridge overlap, ODOT has included those design elements. A steel truss bridge compared to the cheapest option (steel beam like existing bridge) is approximately an additional $1 million.
As a reminder to those who may not have seen the last project update in January 2023, this project's construction has been expedited by a year in order for it to be completed prior to the Brent Spent Bridge project detouring traffic. Because the project being expedited, the project won't be able to explore significant design changes. There are minor design changes that may still occur, and those items will be discussed later in this update for public feedback.
Below are the latest renderings that show ODOT's baseline aesthetic treatments.
- galvanized H-section arch truss bridge
- 1/2" x 3" welded wire fence
- art deco styled bridge piers.
Please click continue as ODOT needs your opinion to help decide on some minor aesthetic choices.
PROJECT CONTACT
Amy Shell, P.E.,Project Manager
ODOT District 8
505 South State Route 741
Lebanon, OH 45036
513.933.6504
Amy.Shell@dot.ohio.gov
DOCUMENTS
Virtual Open House Summary Report (Public Input Summary)
ODOT Responses to Comments Received
Feasibility Study, January 2023
December Updated Renderings:
ACCESS DIFFICULTIES
We want to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to review project information, provide comment, and ask questions. If anyone has difficulty accessing the online virtual Open House, we will email or mail copies of the meeting materials and exhibits, or can discuss them by phone or in person. Requests for these alternate review methods can be submitted to Anthony Pankala using one of the following methods:
Mail
Anthony Pankala, P.E.
ODOT – District 8
505 South State Route 741
Lebanon, OH 45036-09518
Email
Anthony.Pankala@dot.ohio.gov
Phone
513.933.6640
TIMELINE
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by ODOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 14, 2020 and executed by FHWA and ODOT. For more information, please visit ODOT’s NEPA Assignment Portal by clicking here.