The Lytle Tunnel on Interstate 71 is scheduled to be closed several nights this week for maintenance, weather permitting.
Northbound and southbound lanes though the tunnel will be closed two nights each, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. All closures and work are contingent upon the weather.
Here's what we know:
Northbound I-71 closed
When: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., overnight Monday, Sept. 28 and Tuesday, Sept. 29.
What:
- Northbound 1-71 will be closed at the I-71/75 split (Ohio Exit 1).
- Second Street entrance ramp to I-71 North in Cincinnati will be closed; traffic will be routed by way of the Fifth Street entrance ramp to northbound I-71.
- Access to the tunnel from eastbound Fort Washington Way (I-71/U.S. 50) will be prohibited; however, U.S. 50 East will remain open.
Southbound I-71 closed
When: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., overnight Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct. 1
What:
- Southbound I-71 will be closed at Exit 2 and through the tunnel with no access into the I-71 and Third Street tunnels.
- U.S. 42/Eden Park Drive and Eden Park/Dorchester Road entrance ramps will be closed, and drivers may follow the Liberty Street entrance ramp to southbound I-471 and follow I-71 detour.
- Third Street exit ramp/tunnel from I-71 South will be closed, and drivers will be detoured via Gilbert Avenue/Reading Road to access Downtown.
How to avoid the closures
For drivers simply passing through the region, especially truck traffic, while the tunnel is closed in the northbound direction, I-71 traffic will be detoured via I-75 North to S.R. 126/Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway and I-71. When it is closed southbound, traffic will be detoured by
way of I-471 and I-275 West to I-71/I-75 or via Ronald Reagan and I-75 South.
About Lytle Tunnel
The Lytle Tunnel, at about 1,100 feet, opened in 1970 under Downtown's Lytle Park, Fourth Street and Fifth Street. Its installation saved the park after it was slated for demolition to connect I-71 to Fort Washington Way.
The three-tube, six-lane tunnel is the only mechanically ventilated tunnel in Ohio and carries over 50,000 vehicles daily, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
It is named for the Lytles, a prominent family involved in military and politics in Ohio and Kentucky.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Interstate 71 closures at Lytle Tunnel in Cincinnati. See detours
