CINCINNATI — The first weekend of every May, city streets become flooded with people on foot running or walking one of seven different races as part of the annual Flying Pig Marathon.
Throughout the weekend, the race courses will impact streets in Cincinnati, Mariemont and Fairfax in Ohio, and in Newport and Covington in Northern Kentucky, according to city traffic engineer Dennis Lechlak. The races also will impact public transit service for Cincinnati Metro, the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky and the streetcar.
The closures began Thursday morning on Mehring Way and Elm Street at The Banks, so crews could begin constructing the start and finish lines. Those closures began at 9 a.m. and were expected to last until 4 p.m.
As for the rest of the weekend ...
Friday: Fifty West One Mile Sprint
Similar closures were scheduled at The Banks for Friday evening, as well, for the Fifty West One Mile Sprint. The race begins at 8 p.m., with closures scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., unless otherwise indicated below:
- West Pete Rose Way - closed between Gest Street and Central Avenue (closes at 6 p.m.)
- Mehring Way - closed between Joe Nuxhall Way and Gest Street
- Central Avenue - closed between West Pete Rose and Mehring ways
- Elm Street - closed south of Freedom Way
Saturday: 10K, 5K, Kids 1K and Flying Fur
Closures related to these four events begin at 7 a.m. Saturday and last until 3 p.m. Numerous closures will end at noon. Also of note, the Clay Wade Bailey, Roebling Suspension and Taylor Southgate bridges all will close:
- Mehring Way - closed between Freeman Avenue and East Pete Rose Way
- Linn Street - closed between Fifth and Gest streets
- Gest Street - closed between Third Street and Mehring Way
- Third Street - closed between Gest and Broadway
- Third Street ramp from SB I-71 - closed
- Third Street ramp from WB Columbia Parkway - closed
- Clay Wade Bailey Bridge - closed (will reopen after the 10K)
- West Pete Rose Way - closed between Gest Street and Central Avenue
- Central Avenue - closed south of Third Street
- Plum Street - closed south of Fourth Street (from 10 a.m.-noon)
- Second Street - all access to Second Street is closed between 9:30 a.m. and noon
- Elm Street - closed south of Freedom Way
- Race Street- closed south of Fourth Street (from 10 a.m.-noon)
- Walnut Street - closed south of Fourth Street (from 10 a.m.-noon)
- Sycamore Street - closed south of Fourth Street (from 10 a.m.-noon)
- Broadway - closed south of Fourth Street
- Fourth Street - closed between Broadway and Pike Street (single lane maintained for resident access)
- Pike Street - closed between Third and Fourth streets (local access maintained)
- Third Street - closed between Eggleston Avenue and Pike Street (local resident access maintained)
- Culvert Street - closed between Third and Reedy streets
- Reedy Street - closed between Broadway and Eggleston Avenue
- Seventh Street - closed between Broadway and Culvert Street
- New Street - closed between Broadway and Culvert Street
- Sentinel Street - closed between Fifth Street and Eggleston Avenue
- Eggleston Avenue - SB closed between Reedy Street and East Pete Rose Way
- Taylor Southgate Bridge - closed (reopens at 11 a.m.)
- Elm Street - closed south of Second Street (from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.)
- Race Street - closed south of Second Street (from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.)
- Rosa Parks Street - closed south of Second Street (from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.)
- Marian Spencer Way - closed south of Second Street (from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.)
- Joe Nuxhall Way - closed south of Second Street (from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.)
- Suspension Bridge - closed
The race also will impact East and West Fourth Street in Covington, East Third Street, Saratoga Street and West Fifth Street in Newport, and the Veterans Memorial (Fourth Street) Bridge connecting the two Northern Kentucky cities.
Sunday: Half Marathon, Full Marathon
Sunday is the main event, with a few closures beginning as early as 1 a.m.:
- Mehring Way - closed between Central Avenue and Joe Nuxhall Way
- Elm Street - closed south of Second Street
- Freedom Way - closed between Elm and Race streets
Then at 5 a.m., the following roads also will close:
- Mehring Way - closed between Freeman Avenue and East Pete Rose Way
- Linn Street - closed between Fifth and Gest streets
- Gest Street - closed between Third Street and Mehring Way
- Third Street - closed between Gest Street and Broadway
- Third Street ramp from SB I-71- closed
- Third Street ramp from WB Columbia Parkway - closed
- Clay Wade Bailey Bridge - closed (will reopen after the full marathon)
- Second Street - all access to Second Street will close
- Joe Nuxhall Way - closed between Mehring Way and Third Street
- Broadway - closed south of Third Street
- Taylor Southgate Bridge - closed
- Clay Wade Bailey Bridge - closed
- Third Street - closed between Gest Street and Central Avenue
- Gest Street - NB closed between Mehring Way and Linn Street
- Seventh Street - closed between Central and Gilbert avenues (vehicles from the garage at Seventh and Broadway will be permitted to exit at Seventh Street and continue across Broadway to East Seventh Street)
- Seventh Street exit from SB I-75 - closed
- Central Avenue - closed between Seventh and Sixth streets
- Plum Street - closed between Eighth and Seventh streets
- Elm Street - closed between Sixth and Seventh streets
- Race Street - closed between Garfield Place and Seventh Street
- Vine Street - closed between Sixth and Seventh streets
- Walnut Street - closed between Eighth and Seventh streets
- Main Street - closed between Sixth and Seventh streets
- Sycamore Street - closed between Eighth and Seventh streets
- Broadway - closed between Sixth and Seventh streets
- Gilbert Avenue - NB closed between Seventh Street and MLK Drive
- Gilbert Avenue - closed between Elsinore Place and Eden Park Drive
- Eden Park Drive – closed between Gilbert Avenue and Victory Parkway
- Fulton Avenue - closed between Nassau Street and Eden Park Drive
- Art Museum Drive - closed between Ida Street and Eden Park Drive
- Lake Drive – closed
- Victory Parkway – NB closed between Eden Park Drive and McMillan Avenue
- McMillan Avenue – closed between Victory Parkway and Woodburn Avenue
- Woodburn Avenue – closed between McMillan Avenue and Madison Road
- Madison Road – EB closed between Woodburn and Erie avenues
- Erie Avenue – EB closed between Madison Road and Bramble Avenue
- Paxton Avenue – NB closed between Observatory and Erie avenues
- Murray Avenue - NB closed between Erie and LaCrosse avenues
- Bramble Avenue – EB closed between Erie and Settle avenues
The race then proceeds into Mariemont and Fairfax, then returns on WB US 50/Columbia Parkway:
- US-50/Columbia Parkway – single WB curb lane closed between the Cincinnati city line and Eastern Avenue off ramp (WB US-50 ramp to Eastern Avenue is closed)
- Ramp from Red Bank Road to WB Columbia Parkway - closed
- Eastern Avenue – WB closed between Columbia Parkway and Stanley Avenue
- Stanley Avenue – SB closed between Eastern and Kellogg avenues – WB closed between Stanley Avenue and Worth Street
- Riverside Drive – EB closed between East Pete Rose Way and Worth Street
- East Pete Rose Way – EB closed between Johnny Bench Way and Riverside Drive (may open earlier for garage access)
- Mehring Way - closed between Central Avenue and East Pete Rose Way
The Half Marathon will follow the same course out but will turn back at Woodburn Avenue and Madison Road. The following streets will be closed as needed:
- Madison Road - EB closed between Victory Parkway and Woodburn Avenue
- M.L. King – EB closed between Gilbert Avenue and Victory Parkway
- Gilbert Avenue – NB closed between Eden Park Drive and M.L. King
- Sinton Avenue - closed between Gilbert Avenue and Nassau Street
- Nassau Street - closed between Sinton and Gilbert avenues
- Morris Street - closed between Deerfield Place and Gilbert Avenue
- Deerfield Place - closed to through traffic between Gilbert Avenue and Morris Street
- Elsinore Place – closed between Reading Road and Gilbert Avenue
- Reading Road - NB closed between Central Parkway and Elsinore Place
- Central Parkway - closed between Eggleston Avenue and Vine Street
- Eggleston Avenue - SB closed between Central Parkway and East Pete Rose Way
- Eggleston Avenue - NB closed between Third Street and Broadway
Both races finish on Mehring Way beneath and just west of the Suspension Bridge.
Impact on public transit
The weekend's road closures will mean detours and/or delays for Cincinnati Metro and TANK buses. The Cincinnati streetcar will begin service around 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The following Cincinnati Metro bus routes will experience detours and/or delays due to the weekend's events:
- Route 85 Riverfront Parking Shuttle (Thursday and Friday only)
- Route 27 Northside - Casey (Saturday 7:30 a.m.-noon)
- Route 4 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 6 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 11 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 17 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 19 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 21 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 24 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 27 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 31 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 32 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 33 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 43 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 46 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 49 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 51 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 64 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Route 78 (Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.)
As for TANK buses, the Covington Transit Center will close both Saturday and Sunday. Officials estimate the transit center will reopen by noon on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Riders catching their buses at the transit center should use the stop on Scott Street between Fifth and Sixth streets while the center is closed, officials said.
Officials also said passengers riding into Northern Kentucky from Downtown should catch their bus at the Fourth and Walnut streets stop.
The Southbank Shuttle will not begin operation on Saturday until noon, but is expected to begin operations at its normal time of 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Passengers riding these routes should check their normal stop for information about possible relocation during the races:
- Route 1
- Route 3
- Route 5
- Route 7
- Route 8
- Route 12
- Route 16
- Route 25
- Route 33
- Southbank Shuttle
