CINCINNATI — A months-long sewer project on Reading Road near downtown Cincinnati has caused congestion for months.
The construction zone, officially located in Pendleton, narrows to one lane in each direction past the Hard Rock Casino up to roughly the I-71 entrance ramp.
The biggest cause of the backup is heading south, when drivers attempt to make a temporarily-illegal left turn onto southbound I-471. When that happens, the entire single lane must stop. That can lead to backups that span the entire length of the construction zone.
Watch to see a knucklehead make a left turn where they're not supposed to, causing a backup:
According to the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD), there is good news for frustrated drivers.
The Reading Road sewer construction project is ahead of schedule and is expected to be striped and open in time for the Flying Pig Marathon weekend (weather and field conditions permitting).
After the marathon, the orange construction cones will return until the project is fully completed by the end of May.
"I just feel a headache," said Michael Whalen, an Over-the-Rhine resident who regularly drives through the area.
Car accidents “happen almost frequently,” Whalen said.
Whalen said while the sign clearly marks that people can’t turn left, it could be helpful to post that sign hanging near the traffic light. (The protected green left turn arrow on the signal is covered.) He would also like to see police presence at particularly busy times.
“In general, without the construction happening, I think these lights need to be revisited,” Whalen said.
Whalen said he’d ideally like to see the entire stretch revamped to better handle the increase in the surrounding business and neighborhood population.
While MSD doesn't maintain records of accidents in the construction zone, a spokesperson said that Cincinnati police responded to an incident about 3-4 weeks ago when a motorist drove through the orange construction barrels into freshly poured concrete.
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