CINCINNATI — A roadwork project coming to the Norwood Lateral will cause a 160 days of closures in the eastbound lanes starting in March, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The project seeks to rehabilitate mainline bridges between the Paddock Road and I-71 interchanges, including bridges over Paddock, Reading Road and Ross Avenue. The rehabilitation process will include replacing joints and barriers, painting and sealing the structures.
In addition, crews will be resurfacing SR-562 between Paddock and I-71.
Starting March 11, this means the eastbound lanes will be closed to all traffic for 80 days. After that's completed, crews will move to the westbound lanes, which will then close for 80 more days. In total, lane closures on the Norwood Lateral is projected to span 160 days — meaning closures of some kind could last through the summer and into August.
During the closure, southbound I-75 traffic to SR-562 will detour by way of Fort Washington Way and I-71 north. Northbound I-75 drivers will be detoured to SR-126 or Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway and I-71.
"The directional closures were deemed necessary due to the width requirements to maintain traffic in a single lane over the bridges during construction," reads a statement from ODOT. "Closure will also expedite operations and reduce the overall or total impact to traffic."
The closure is also to help ensure crews are safe while they work on the roadway, ODOT said. Data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows the Norwood Lateral has seen more than 700 crashes since 2019.
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