Net to be Installed on Bottom Deck of Western Hills Viaduct at Spring Grove Ave
May 04, 2021
CINCINNATI – The bottom deck of the Western Hills Viaduct will be closed to through traffic between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 7 – 9.
The overnight closure, which will prohibit access to the lower deck from the Harrison Avenue exit on the west end and Spring Grove Avenue on the east end, is needed so crews may install a net above the viaduct’s intersection with Spring Grove.
The bottom deck will reopen to traffic during the day for the weekend.
The top deck of the viaduct will remain open at all times to eastbound and westbound motorists. The ramp at exit 2B from southbound Interstate 75 to the viaduct also will remain open.
Detour signage will be posted on site to help guide motorists.
The net is being added as a safety precaution. Maintenance crews regularly remove loose concrete by chipping it off the upper deck to prevent it from falling to the lower deck. The net will catch loose concrete that might fall to the lower deck in between regular chipping and inspections.
“This area is increasingly difficult to manage through regular inspections and chipping because it is in a narrow opening that is hard see and reach,” said Bill Shefcik, who oversees bridge infrastructure for the city of Cincinnati Department of Transportation & Engineering (DOTE). “The netting will catch loose concrete that cannot be seen or easily reached.”
The deteriorating, 89-year-old viaduct is reaching the end of its useful life. Officials with the city and Hamilton County are leading a joint effort to replace it. The viaduct remains safe for travel but the city is increasing maintenance efforts, with the installation of the netting this year and the addition of weight limits for certain types of three-axel trucks last year.
Please note: Weight limits apply to heavily loaded, single-unit trucks, not two-axle vehicles that include most buses or multi-unit trucks such as semi tractor-trailers.
Site preparation for a new bridge is expected to begin this summer or fall. The existing viaduct will remain in place until its replacement is completed in 2028.