CINCINNATI — The Western Hills Viaduct, a major artery connecting Cincinnati's west side, will be closed for parts of this week.
The city of Cincinnati announced the closure initially planned for Tuesday, May 19 through Friday, May 22 was shifted by one week.
Those closures are now happening Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, May 29. The closures will happen from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. each day, the city said.
There are still no weekend closures planned.
The closures will allow for utility work tied to the planned replacement of the aging bridge.
The closures will impact ramps from both northbound and southbound I-75 as well as both the upper and lower decks of the bridge.
WATCH: Officials explain why the Western Hills Viaduct is closing over the next two weeks
We spoke with drivers on Monday, the first day of the closure, to see how the closure and detours impacted their daily commutes.
Nicole Myrick drives the viaduct nearly every day to take her mom back and forth between doctor's appointments. She said on Monday, the detour took her about 5 minutes, but only because she caught it early.
"I caught it in time, but if I wouldn’t have gotten over when I saw all the cars ahead of time, I think they were there for a good 15-20 minutes," Myrick said.
Candace Wood also drove the detour Monday when bringing her daughter back to school from a doctor’s appointment.
"I’m not familiar with it, so I had a rough time figuring out where I needed to go. I was kinda just driving until my GPS said rerouted," Wood said.
WATCH: Drivers share their frustrations, and the impact the viaduct closure has on their commutes
According to Duke Energy, the work is necessary to relocate infrastructure that currently runs along the south side of the viaduct — a step that must be completed before the replacement bridge project begins this summer.
“This includes two high-voltage transmission lines and a substation along Spring Grove Avenue," said Matt Martin, a Duke Energy spokesperson. "These lines supply power to a local substation serving area businesses and residents.”
Martin said crews will use multiple cranes positioned along and near the viaduct, including over the CSX rail yard, to safely remove lines and towers during the first week. The following week, new lines will be installed to reconnect power to other nearby substations. The work has been coordinated closely with the City of Cincinnati, ODOT, CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Wood says, although the closure is frustrating, she’ll take the inconvenience for a safer drive.
"It’s scary, when you walk, or when you’re on there driving it, you see pieces missing, you are worried, so I’d rather have it be done than not have it at all," Wood said.
Construction for the new viaduct is set to begin this year and be completed in 2030.
The Ohio Department of Transportation signed off on permits to close the I-75 ramps for the duration of the work. Spokesperson Kathleen Fuller said work will involve helicopter operations.
“This is strictly a utility project by Duke Energy,” Fuller said. “Between the helicopter and surface-level equipment work, it really wouldn’t be safe to have the Western Hills Viaduct open during operations. That’s why there will be daytime closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., after the morning rush hour but before the evening rush hour, to minimize delays.”
Fuller said that commuters should plan ahead, as the closure will create significant impacts on traffic.
“If you typically take the Western Hills Viaduct off I-75, you’re going to need to allow an extra 15 to 30 minutes of travel time,” Fuller said. “Drivers will likely need to use Hopple Street or Freeman Avenue, depending on direction, and secondary city streets will see heavier traffic. Be patient and understand that these projects are necessary.”
It's possible that, if work is finished ahead of schedule, the viaduct could open sooner, city officials said.
