LOVELAND, Ohio — A major connection on the Loveland Bike trail will be closed for a portion of mid-March and then again, all summer.
The first closure will start on Monday, March 6 and will reopen at the end of the month, the City of Loveland said in a Facebook post. The bridge will be open again through April but will be off limits from May through October.
The closure is due to a construction project. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is replacing the pedestrian bridge on the Little Miami Scenic Trail over O'Bannon Creek, according to the city. This is the bridge near the restrooms located in Nisbet Park. According to the city, the current bridge is "nearing the end of its life expectancy, and ODNR is proactively replacing before it becomes unsafe."
The city said there is no designated detour around the construction, which is slated to take place during peak bike trail season.
The major closure is concerning some businesses along the trail.
"A good portion of the business comes from people coming off that trail," said a spokeswoman for the Monkey Bar & Grille. "If they can't get down the trail from their starting location, then this isn't on their path."
Cartridge Brewing Director of Communications Stephanie Meinberg told WCPO that while the business is excited about the improvements, the timing isn't ideal.
"It's going to isolate us this summer," Meinberg said. "It's going to be a tough summer for everyone on the bike trail."
The brewery is six miles away from where the construction will take place, but Meinberg said the closure will stop bikers from traveling north to reach the business. It will only be accessible via the trail to folks traveling south.
"We know it has to be done and we totally support that. We hope our fans will find their way around to us," Meinberg said. "You can still drive here."
Meinberg said she can't wait for the finished product.
"It's going to be gorgeous and safe and better than it was before," she said.
Here is a look at a rendering of the new bridge:
Construction was supposed to start in December 2022 and continue through the winter but due to supply chain delays, it waspushed back, according to Krista Rose, the marketing coordinator for Loveland. Rose also said that ODNR owns and maintains the bike trail and the city does not have control over when the construction takes place.
Rose said that ODNR has not set a closure date for the May shut down.
ODNR has not yet responded to WCPO's request for a comment.
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