COVINGTON, KY - 11th AND 12th AREA
May 2006
PART 1
Probably a majority of the places shown in this 3-part set of 25 photos are endangered to some extent - which is why I took so many photos. The centerpiece of this outing is the area along 11th and 12th streets. (Those in the know call it KY 1120.) Politicians and the media, in all their infinite "wisdom", called for making 11th and 12th into a wide divided highway. From what I can gather, the project will include 12th from I-75 to Scott Boulevard; it's unknown exactly what will happen to 11th. Construction - rather, destruction - was slated to begin in July 2006.
This is west on 11th, approaching the bridge over the rail line that runs north-south through the city. The street here is two-way, though as far as KY 1120 is concerned it's only the westbound side of that route. An interesting tidbit: At least 3 of the 5 people pictured on the Fox News billboard at left have been profiled on the Conservative Fool Of The Day blog.
Looking north into downtown Covington from the bridge on 11th.
Looking east on 11th from Banklick Street. This block of 11th is paved with brick.
This is a swell neighborhood here: working-class, urban, historic, handsome, and politically populist. This scene may survive the bulldozers - but, judging by what I-471 did to Highland Heights, its vitality isn't something I'd count on once the 11th/12th construction is done. I'm not exactly sure what street this is, but it could be Berry.
In that same threatened neighborhood, this is probably Locust Street.
I'm even less sure of what street this is, but I know it's in that same area. It could be the part of 11th west of Lee.
A somewhat interesting bit of freeway engineering: We're looking ahead on the curvy ramp from Pike Street to I-75 north. The ramp from I-75 north to 5th Street actually runs over this ramp. I'll eat my hat if this is endangered, because it's not very old. The design of the interchange is somewhat unusual: It's for both Pike and 12th, which parallel each other here, so it's like a regular diamond-shaped exit, only modified so the parts of the ramps between 12th and Pike are actually surface streets.
Now we're on one such surface road: Bullock Street, which serves as part of the ramps to and from southbound I-75. We're approaching 12th and looking straight ahead onto I-75.
It was urgent that I get a picture of this, because most of these buildings are already boarded up. This is facing east on 12th near Main. The boarded-up houses bore signs declaring, "STATE PROPERTY - NO TRESPASSING." If you ask me, "STATE PROPERTY" and "NO TRESPASSING" seem to be a bit of a contradiction, especially in a democ...ah, never mind.