CINCINNATI'S NORTH SIDE AND MORE!
I wanted to take US 42 to downtown, but maddeningly, the terrain just kept going up from here, so I detoured back to the Mill Creek valley.
Aug. 12 2008
PART 3
The Peace Bike's tour of the upper Mill Creek valley takes us here. This is southeast on Wyoming Avenue in Lockland, where the street goes over southbound I-75.
From Wyoming Avenue, this is northeast on East Forrer Avenue, which parallels southbound I-75 (which is in the trench on the left). Somewhat interesting, don't you think? (West Forrer parallels the other side of I-75 south.)
Wyoming Avenue, obviously, but I guess the road straight ahead would almost have to be northeast on Shepherd Avenue. Peep these old buildings!
More old buildings on Wyoming. This almost has to be coming off Mill Street. The way to north I-75 from here is somewhat roundabout.
Continuing on Wyoming Avenue, this unusual bridge goes over Mill Creek from Lockland to Reading. The overpass ahead is I-75 north.
"Uh, well..." This is approaching the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway, going southwest on US 42 (Reading Road) in Reading. The Reagan is a freeway that is also part of OH 126. It was finally completed in the 1990s after decades of controversy. The overpass ahead is the Reagan.
Looking northeast on US 42, back towards the Reagan. I think right here we're just barely in Sycamore Township, according to the USGS map (though the right-hand side of the road is in Reading).
Back in Cincinnati, continuing southwest on US 42. This is going under the rail overpass just north of Tennessee Avenue. (Remember that song that went, "Tennessee...Tennessee...Tennessee..."?)
Just north of the overpass, what appears to be an abandoned street runs west off US 42. It may have once gone all the way to Paddock Road.
Under the overpass. The old, round B&O logo is near the upper left. Near the lower right is a set of letters and numbers beginning in HAM-25. The letters stand for Hamilton County, and the number is a reminder that this road was once US 25 (as well as US 42). US 25 north of downtown disappeared around 1974, which shows you how long ago those numbers were painted on the bridge.
Looking northeast towards the rail flyover from Tennessee Avenue. The old B&O logo is on this side as well. OH 562 is the Norwood Lateral, an east-west freeway through here. Behind the rail overpass, you can see the legs of the OH 562 span.
Back in St. Bernard, this is north on Vine Street. This is the same Vine Street that runs north to pick up OH 4, and south to downtown Cincinnati (though it does have a very brief break near Taft Road). This part of Vine used to be Carthage Pike. Here we're at the junction with Oak Street, looking under yet another rail overpass. The railroad crossing sign is for the upcoming at-grade crossing at Railroad Avenue.
From Vine Street, this is west on the abandoned Station Avenue, across from Oak Street. The white sign says, "KEY IS AT SERVICE DEPT GARAGE AT 20 OAK ST." The key for what? The restroom? There's an abandoned rail station on this street. Also, the speed limit sign is obviously not for this road but for I-75, which goes over Vine on the left.
In Cincinnati, along Hopple Street near Meeker Street, there's this giant statue, which resembles the Tin Man of The Wizard Of Oz.
Now we're on 8th in Cincinnati, looking west towards the ruins of the 8th Street Viaduct. (Two funny words in the same sentence: ruins and viaduct!) This span was supposed to be completely reopened in 2009. Surprisingly, it reopened on time.
I don't know what this thing is, but this is east on Linn Street, north of the 3rd & Baymiller ruins. Linn here is roughly where 4th once was. This spot is about where 4th & Stone was. (What was once Stone Street appears to now just be driveways for some industries near here.)
I'd taken photos in this area before, but the area appeared even more abandoned than it did in 2006! This is west from Gest Street where it goes over the rail line between 3rd and Mehring Way. It looks as if one track is abandoned while there's space to the right of it for a track that's gone completely. The lopsided rail span over Mehring Way near 5th can be seen here in the background, and the Cincinnati Southern Bridge runs horizontally across the photo behind that. The Gest Street span that we're on is dated 1999, so it lasted at most 9 years before it no longer had any need.