CINCINNATI roadmeet
Oct. 12 2013
PART 2
Here we're on the 6th Street Expressway, and this is a view of the rehabbed 8th Street Viaduct. In the foreground though, emerging from under the 6th Street Expressway is the tail end of Mehring Way that leads to what I call the "secret bridge." Actually, I'm told the "secret bridge" isn't such a secret for rail travelers. But to locals who rarely use mass transit, it is. I didn't even know about it until I was 30. I'm talking about the span that has the 6th Street surface road. But now, with the Waldvogel Viaduct reconstruction, the bridge appears to be permanently closed at its western approach.
US 50's Waldvogel Viaduct as we previously knew it is gone. Gone, I tell you! Here's a view of the new viaduct ramps under construction.
It appears as if the rebuilt viaduct won't have an elevated road in the same path as a ground-level road, like the old setup had. I'm still not sure how it'll play out when done.
Looking back on the viaduct as it's being rebuilt.
US 50 in the middle of the new viaduct setup. This is a little past Evans Street, so the traffic light was new.
This has to be the new ramp from the viaduct to Elberon Avenue.
North on Purcell Avenue (which was not named after Real People's Sarah Purcell).
East on the Price Hill stretch of West 8th.
A view from Olden View Park - right after we all got skeeped at for parking at a parking lot that was "reserved" for some swanky apartment building. Evans Street runs across the photo. South Street is the small street that crosses it.
Waldvogel Viaduct reconstruction as seen from Olden View Park. Evans Street runs across the bottom. The now-closed approach to the "secret bridge" would have been off Evans just about where the new viaduct roadway hits Evans now, or maybe very slightly to the left.
At Olden View Park again. In the foreground here is what's left of the old incline that once linked the disconnected portions of West 8th.
In this video, our roadmeet motorcade descends Lehman Road.
North on State Avenue. The west approach of the double-decker Western Hills Viaduct soars through the sky.
East on the upper deck of the Western Hills Viaduct, opened in 1932. Both decks are 2-way; the lower deck ends at Spring Grove Avenue. US 52 once used the upper deck.
North on I-75. I think the overpass is for Hopple Street. (Remember when a graffiti artist changed it to "Höpple" on one of the BGS's?) But it appears they've removed the ramp at right that swept from Hopple to I-75 north. It's part of a reconstruction project that will result in Hopple going over Central Parkway and feeding into Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. A ramp will link Hopple with Central Parkway.
Not sure here, but I think this is the ramp from I-74 west to Colerain Avenue at Powers Street (the Elmore/Spring Grove exit). Closed forever, I'm told.
I think this is the ramp from I-74 to Colerain Avenue near West Fork, but they're rebuilding this too. Instead of hitting Colerain in a perpendicular way, it'll just feed directly into Colerain north and continue as US 27. It appears there's a closed ramp branching off on the left, which was probably the ramp from Beekman north to I-74 west.
The ramp meets Colerain at this rebuilt junction. Colerain south is on the right; Colerain north is straight ahead. The sign encourages a U-turn to go to I-74 east. Right here, this ramp used to turn a little to the right of where it is now.
South again on the rebuilt Colerain.
Southeast on Colerain at Gordon Street. Lots of Sesame Street stuff in this neighborhood. There's also Elmore (Elmo) and Beekman (which I always associate with Big Bird).
Southeast on Mitchell Avenue, going under the rail overpass near Spring Grove Avenue. The I-75 overpass is in the distance.
Mitchell nears I-75.