I-75 will close in both directions through downtown Cincinnati starting Friday, Sept. 25. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is encouraging heavy trucks to detour onto I-275, a route that passes through West Chester Township and Liberty Township.

The closure runs from 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 28, while crews install nine steel girders for the new Linn Street Bridge between Freeman Avenue and the I-71/I-75 split, WCPO 9 reported.

ODOT is encouraging heavy trucks traveling through Cincinnati to use I-275 during the closure, according to WCPO's reporting. The interstate loops through both townships.

Detour routes for passenger vehicles

Drivers heading northbound on I-75 should follow signed detours at the I-71/I-75 split, taking I-71 North to westbound State Route 562, known as the Norwood Lateral, WLWT reported. Southbound drivers should take eastbound SR-562 to I-71 South, reconnecting with I-75 at the Brent Spence Bridge.

Access to the West Fifth Street exit (Exit 1C) and the U.S. 50 West/River Road exit (Exit 1D) will remain open during the closure, according to WLWT.

Trucking operations brace for delays

Jack Wardle, general manager of K.E. Warehouse, a bonded warehouse and trucking operation in Cincinnati, told WCPO the closure will squeeze freight schedules. He said fuel costs will climb because trucks face longer routes and more idle time in traffic.

"That's burning through time that you could be making other deliveries," Wardle said.

He added that the company expects fewer deliveries per truck each day while the closure is in effect.

Longer-term construction ahead

The Linn Street Bridge project is part of the Linn Street Bridge Replacement and Reconstruction project, expected to finish in late 2027. Additional work in the area will continue through 2029, according to WLWT.

Separately, the ramp from eastbound U.S. 50 to southbound I-75 will close Sunday evening during the closure weekend for about four months as part of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. That ramp is not expected to reopen until January 2027, WLWT reported.

Drivers can check real-time conditions at ODOT's traffic site, ohgo.com.