City officials in Cincinnati have announced the awarding of $127m in federal funds for its Western Hills Viaduct replacement project. 

A viaduct is a long bridge-like structure, typically with a series of arches, that carries traffic.

The monies come through a INFRA grant, also known as the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects grant.  

“This project is going to change the face of our city for a generation. Reconnecting our neighborhoods to the jobs and everyday destinations they depend on is essential to our growth as a city that works for everyone,” explained Mayor Aftab Pureval.

Prevail added, “The Biden-Harris Administration continues to prove that they have the backs of Cincinnatians, and I am extremely grateful for the Department of Transportation and our state and local leaders for collaborating to make this possible.”

The City of Cincinnati and the larger Hamilton County are carrying out this joint effort to replace a 90-year-old viaduct that connects to Interstate-75 and carries 55,000 vehicles a day over the Mill Creek Valley and a large, active railroad yard.

“This is an exciting step toward creating connectivity and access that will benefit all Cincinnatians, especially Black and Brown communities that were disproportionately affected during the original construction. John Brazina and his staff have done an excellent job keeping this project moving. I applaud DOTE for its steadfast and continued work,” City Manager Sheryl Long said.

“This is a great win for us,” said John Brazina, the City’s Director of Transportation & Engineering. “It sets us up for successfully completing the project. We’re very grateful to the Federal Highway Administration for its support.”

Construction of the new bridge is expected to begin by 2025.

The project team is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to replace and reconfigure the I-75 interchange, which is currently in a preliminary design phase. 

The new bridge will extend nearly a half mile over CSX Transportation’s Queensgate Yard. The existing viaduct will remain in place and continue to carry traffic until the replacement is completed.

Preparation of the site began early in 2022, with the demolition of the first of six buildings near the new bridge.

The prep works includes the relocation of a Duke Energy substation and transmission line, railroad track relocations and other utility relocations, and construction of foundational supports for roadway ramps on the west end of the project footprint.