Interstate
71/Lytle Tunnel project to begin May 26
$30 million
project will construct essential Tunnel upgrades over next two years
Hamilton
County
(Wednesday, May 20, 2015) –Lytle Tunnel work beginning May 26 will
improve driver safety by bringing the tunnel and its systems in compliance with
current fire codes and design standards. Construction is expected to be
completed in late fall 2017.
The
$30 million tunnel project will upgrade lighting, repair concrete and tiles,
and modernize mechanical and ventilation systems. In addition cameras and a
fire detection system will be installed to allow more efficient and safer
response time to incidents within the tunnel.
The
schedule for required road closures is expected to be determined by mid-June,
2015 and will avoid, as much as possible, major downtown events such as the
2015 Major League Baseball All Star Game, Riverfest, Oktoberfest, Heart Mini
Marathon and the Flying Pig. Closures include:
·
southbound
Interstate 71—for one weekend (Friday night to Monday morning);
·
southbound
I-71 ramp to Third Street—for one weekend (Friday night to Monday morning) and
a second time for 20 consecutive calendar days; and
·
Second
Street ramp to northbound I-71—for 60 consecutive calendar days.
Additionally,
Lytle Park will be closed during the tunnel construction work. The eastern
portion of Lytle Park will close on May 26 for approximately one-year. The
western side of the park will also close but that closure date has not yet been
determined. The park area will be returned to its current condition after the
tunnel project is completed.
The
public can receive ongoing project status information by providing an email
address to d08.pio@dot.state.oh.us or via the ODOT
District 8 social media pages:
https://www.facebook.com/ODOTDistrict8
https://twitter.com/ODOT_Cincinnati
Lytle
Tunnel carries I-71 under Lytle Park and Fourth and Fifth streets on the
eastern edge of Cincinnati. The tunnel carries three lanes of northbound I-71
traffic, two lanes of southbound traffic and a single lane, southbound exit
ramp to Third Street. The tunnel opened to traffic in 1970.
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