Hamilton Director of Engineering Allen Messer said funds would be sourced from various federal grant programs.
The first of the requests would give the Butler County Transportation Improvement District (TID) the authorization to apply for an Ohio Kentucky Indiana Council of Regional Governments grant of up to $4 million for a roundabout at the intersection of Rhea Avenue and North B Street, and make Gordon Avenue a right in/right out at North B. The city would be required to put in a $1 million match.
“It’s the same thing for the roundabout we received funding from OKI for NW Washington/West Elkton/North B Street,” he said.
The engineering staff considered installing a roundabout at Gordon, but Messer said utility costs and the few left turns there did not justify the cost.
The roundabout at Rhea and North B, the “recommended preferred location” for the North Hamilton Crossing project, would be met by another roundabout on the east side of the river.
The North Hamilton Crossing has been in the works for years. It will provide an unobstructed boulevard-style east-west route through the city. Plans have considered roundabouts, overpasses and a bridge over the Great Miami River.
Traffic has been a headache for Hamilton motorists. Until 2018, when the South Hamilton Crossing opened, the only way to get through the city without the possibility of being stopped by a train, was the High-Main corridor. North Hamilton Crossing would provide another unobstructed route, connecting North B Street to Ohio 4 and Ohio 129.
The second grant request is being made through U.S. Sen. Jon Husted’s office. This $1.5 million request would be earmarked for the North Hamilton Crossing bridge, and would cover portions of the Rhea/North B roundabout. It requires a 20% local match.
“We’ll have much more detailed conversations about the aesthetics of the bridge once we get further along in the design, but we had the consultants put together a rendering so the people could get a feel of what it would look like,” said Messer, adding it would take inspiration from the High-Main Bridge.
The last grant is to make the existing river crossing in this area, the 103-year-old Black Street Bridge, into a pedestrian crossing. City staff would directly apply to OKI for $1 million for that transition after the new bridge, which would be inspired by the High-Main Bridge. This transition would occur after the new bridge is constructed.
Making the Black Street Bridge, which is both across from and adjacent to to the Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill complex, into a pedestrian crossing would connect the Beltline Recreation Trail to the Great Miami River Recreation Trail. This request comes with an estimated $450,000 match.
“The good thing about the timing is we have Crawford Hoying coming in,” Messer said of the three-phase mixed-use development of the former Cohen Recycling property at North Third Street and Black Street. “This benefits their development, also it enables us to make that connection now before that area gets developed and there’s a building in the way or something otherwise prevents this connection from going in.”
The projects would be a few years from commencing, and these city staff requests are expected to be presented for City Council consideration at its May 28 meeting.
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