CINCINNATI — Construction on Riverside Drive is causing some major traffic headaches for residents and business owners in the East End.
Since July, crews have been working to improve the sewer infrastructure in the area. It's part of a project by the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD).
WATCH: East End business owners explain how Riverside Drive construction is affecting them:
MSD is constructing a new 60-inch-diameter outfall pipe to the Ohio River with the goal of preventing backflow of river water into the pipe. MSD officials said backflow can contribute to sewer overflows and backups.
However, for Sarah Worley, who just opened Du Drop In Again Bar and Scratch Kitchen, the construction is becoming a problem.
"It's soul-sucking, I'm not going to lie," Worley said.
Starting at Collins Avenue, the westbound lane of Riverside Drive is closed. Worley said it cuts off traffic coming from the east.
“The construction and the road shutdown has absolutely killed us," Worley said.
It means drivers coming from the east have to detour around Columbia Parkway to get to her business. A place just a few seconds down the road now takes drivers about 10 minutes to reach.
“The first two weeks we were open with the road open, we did phenomenally," Worley said. "As soon as they closed it, the numbers just plummeted.”
Worley isn't the only local business owner feeling the effects.
Down the road at Knuckles Deli, owner David Hall said road-closed signs make some people think they can't get to his business. He said his sales have dropped about 25% since construction started.
“The signs have been kind of all over the place," Hall said. "They’ve been up and down. They’ve changed the signage a lot. But, right now, it says you can’t even get to my street, it just says the road is closed.”
In 2024, we covered construction for a similar project in the same area. At the time, signs made it clear that businesses were open and accessible.
WATCH:
Hall said he wants to see those types of signs again.
"It would also be useful to get some sort of traffic control," Hall said. "If they could get two-way traffic going down the street, that would be a huge benefit for us."
At Circuit Cafe, owner Clayton Smith echoed those frustrations. Smith said most drivers don't want to deal with navigating the construction traffic.
"It's kind of felt like we've been deserted as business owners," Smith said.
Smith said he wishes there were resources for local businesses impacted.
Last year, Cincinnati City Council discussed an idea that could provide financial support to small businesses impacted by city construction projects. However, discussions have stalled since.
"I think, in these cases, we're undervalued in a lot of ways," Smith said.
We reached out to MSD to share nearby business owners' concerns about the construction.
A spokesperson said MSD has worked closely with the community on the project and has maintained transparency throughout the process. They said residents can follow updates on the project webpage.
They said they considered two-way traffic, but MSD and the Cincinnati Department of Transportation & Engineering determined it would create too many safety and traffic challenges.
MSD said it will look into adding signs to make it clear businesses are accessible and that it is continuing to respond to residents' questions and concerns.
The project is expected to be completed on or before early November.
