Interstate 74 in Ohio

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This article is about the section of Interstate 74 in Ohio. For the entire route, see Interstate 74.

Interstate 74

Map
I-74 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length19.47 mi[1] (31.33 km)
ExistedDecember 5, 1962–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-74 at Indiana state line
Major intersections
East end I-75 / US 52 in Cincinnati
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
CountiesHamilton
Highway system
  • Ohio State Highway System
← SR 73→ SR 74

Interstate 74 (I-74) in the US state of Ohio runs for 19.47 miles (31.33 km) southeast from the Indiana border to the western segment's current eastern terminus at I-75 just north of Downtown Cincinnati. It is also signed with U.S. Route 52 (US 52) for its entire length.

Route description

The Ohio portion of I-74 begins on the Indiana border near Harrison and travels east. Shortly after crossing into Ohio, the Interstate curves southeast before it intersects with I-275 near milepost 5. It then overlaps with that beltway route, heading generally east for approximately four miles (6.4 km) before splitting from I-275 to continue southeast into Cincinnati. Approximately 10 miles (16 km) later, I-74 reaches its eastern terminus at I-75, about four miles (6.4 km) north-northwest of Downtown Cincinnati.

History

Locally known as the Northwest Expressway, I-74 was built in several stages during the 1960s and 1970s. The first freeway section to open stretched 7.9 miles (12.7 km) from the Indiana state line at Harrison to Ohio State Route 128 in Miamitown. Together with a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) section in Indiana, it cut off 8.1 miles (13.0 km) of U.S. Route 52, which was rerouted onto the freeway.[2] Over the objections of the Hamilton County Park Commission, the freeway cut across Miami Whitewater Forest, the largest park in the Hamilton County Park District, affecting 2,000 feet (610 m) of the Dry Fork Whitewater River. A more southerly route was rejected because it would have cost $260,000 more.[3] About 100 motorists attended an informal ceremony to drive the new route as it opened on December 5, 1962.[2] A southbound weigh station was built at this time but did not operate, because the Ohio State Highway Patrol would have had to take each cited trucker to the Hamilton County Courthouse in downtown Cincinnati to post bond. In 1968, Harrison annexed the weigh station, allowing it to begin operations.[4][5]

A second section opened in October or November 1963, extending east to Rybolt Road and Harrison Avenue in Dent.[6][7] Parts of I-74 were incorporated into the Circle Freeway (I-275) when it opened on December 6, 1977.[8]

On January 14, 1969, a 3.47-mile (5.58 km) section opened from the Harrison Avenue interchange to North Bend Road in Monfort Heights.[9] However, no signs initially marked this section as part of either I-74 or U.S. 52; U.S. 52 route markers and "Expressway Ends" signs continued to direct motorists off the freeway at Harrison Avenue, because North Bend Road did not meet the requirements for an Interstate feeder road.[10]

At the end of 1969, construction began on the southernmost section from Elmore Street to I-75, crossing Mill Creek and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad mainline.[11] A final 2.5 miles (4.0 km) section from Elmore Street to the Cincinnati city limits near Diehl Road began later but was delayed in part because of environmental problems from cutting through another large park, Cincinnati's Mount Airy Forest. On October 4, 1974, the final 2.5-mile (4.0 km) stretch from North Bend Road to I-75 opened to traffic after a ceremony attended by Governor John J. Gilligan, ODOT Director Phillip Richley, Cincinnati Mayor Ted Berry, and Hamilton County Commissioner Robert F. Reckman.[12]

Future

Proposals call for I-74 to be continued through Ohio and into West Virginia, concurrent with I-73; with both of these roads continuing through Virginia and North Carolina to end in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Due to funding concerns, there are no concrete plans for this to occur.

However, several plans are in the running for the extension through the Cincinnati metropolitan area. They include:

  1. Running along I-75 and I-275, then onto State Route 32 (SR 32);
  2. Along I-75 between the I-74/I-75 interchange and I-75/SR 562 interchange, then onto SR 562, I-71 between SR 562 and Red Bank corridor, down the Red Bank corridor, and along a new highway connector to SR 32; and
  3. From the I-74/I-75 interchange to I-75/SR 562 interchange, then onto SR 562, then along I-71 and I-275 before connecting to SR 32.

The second route was eliminated due to opposition regarding a key part of its completion: a $366.2-million highway that would need to be constructed near Mariemont and Newtown (terminuses: Red Bank Road/Wooster Pike intersection and Bells Lane). Total costs would have been $809.1 million ($62 million per mile ($39 million/km)). Improvements to existing roads have been proposed instead.

The Norwood Lateral (SR 562) would need to be reconstructed in order to become part of I-74. It needs the following: a third travel lane in each direction (two each currently), overpasses that would need more vertical clearance (16 feet (4.9 m) minimum), upgraded ramp extensions at interchanges (1,200 feet (370 m)), and shoulders that might need more width. There are highways with shoulder widths of four and eight miles (6.4 and 12.9 km), however; so this might not be a serious issue. This problem could be resolved through Congress if they wanted to designate the Norwood Lateral as a future segment of the Interstate Highway System.

Exit list

The entire route is in Hamilton County.

Locationmi[13]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Harrison0.000.00

 I-74 west / US 52 west – Indianapolis		Indiana state line
1.602.571New Haven Road – Harrison
3.585.763Dry Fork Road
Whitewater Township5.859.415
 I-275 south – Kentucky		West end of I-275 overlap; I-275 exit 25
7.7612.497 SR 128 – Cleves, Hamilton, Miamitown
Colerain Township9.3315.029

 I-275 north to I-75 – Dayton		East end of I-275 overlap; I-275 exit 28
Green Township11.1617.9611Rybolt Road, Harrison Pike
14.6623.5914North Bend Road – Cheviot
Cincinnati17.4428.0717Montana AvenueWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
18.40–
18.52		29.61–
29.81		18
 US 27 north (Beekman Street) / Colerain Avenue		No direct access from I-74 west to Beekman Street south or from Beekman Street north to I-74 east, however, a legal U-turn allows both of these accesses to be achieved.
19.0830.7119Elmore Street, Spring Grove AvenueFormer westbound exit and eastbound entrance to I-75 south; closed 2013
19.4731.33

 I-75 / US 27 south / US 52 east – Dayton, Lexington		I-75 exit 4; US 27 and US 52 overlaps end east; Unsigned US 27
19.4731.3320
 US 27 / US 127 south – Central Parkway		Former eastern end of US 27 overlap; closed 2013
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ Federal Highway Administration (2002-10-31). "FHWA Route Log and Finder List: Table 1". Retrieved 2009-02-24.
  2. ^ a b "Northwest Expressway Strip Open From Miamitown To Harrison Area". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 6, 1962. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Amick, George (June 5, 1959). "Board To Fight 'Grab' Of Park Land By X-Way". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 14-A – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Harrison Doubles in Size". The Cincinnati Post and Times-Star. December 7, 1967. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Robinson, Bill (January 27, 1987). "Weigh station inspector has little trouble with truckers". Neighbors. The Cincinnati Post (West ed.). p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Bigger Light OKd For Intersection". The Cincinnati Post and Times-Star. November 14, 1962. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Burdock, Robert (November 28, 1963). "$500 Million Road Bond Issue Asked". The Cincinnati Post and Times-Star. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "December opening for I-275". The Cincinnati Post. November 10, 1977. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Monfort Heights Through Indiana—That's I-74 Now". Local and Women’s News. The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 17, 1969. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Inside Cincinnati: New Flashing Color Lights To Be Installed on Race Street". The Cincinnati Post and Times-Star. January 17, 1969. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "One More Leg Of I-74 Shaping Up". The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 1, 1970. p. 7-D – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Final I-74 Segment To Open October 4". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 21, 1974. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Hamilton County Roadway Description Inventory Report — DESTAPE" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. June 24, 2015: 31–33. Retrieved September 12, 2015. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)[permanent dead link]


Interstate 74
Previous state:
Indiana 		Ohio Next state:
West Virginia
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