Bridges

The Bridge Department maintains 421 bridges on the County roadway system by washing, clearing debris, patching bridge decks and railing, and replacing degraded bridges. The Bridge Department also designs and constructs retaining structures to correct landslides, which affect the public right of way. Inspection of these bridges is carried out annually as per state law. Bridges determined to be structurally deficient or functionally obsolete are scheduled into the Capital Improvement Plan so that they can be rehabilitated or replaced.

In our effort to keep our bridges in good condition, the Bridge Department oversees the bridge maintenance crew who are in charge of completing routine maintenance and minor repairs so that the structures function as designed. 

The Bridge Department is located at the Service Garage location. See the facilities page for details.




To look at the condition ratings of our bridges click the link below

HCE Bridge Inspection Dashboard. 
HCE Bridge Inspection Dashboard

western hills viaduct 

The Western Hills Viaduct connects Interstate 75 and major roads on Cincinnati’s West Side and in Hamilton County to the Downtown and Uptown areas of the city. It is a major transportation link that carries more than 55,000 vehicles a day over the Mill Creek Valley and a large, active railroad yard. 

Western Hills Viaduct Close-up view of Interstate 75 interchange

Originally built in the early 1930s, the viaduct is reaching the end of its useful life having only undergone one major rehabilitation in 1977. The City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County are leading a joint effort to replace the 90-year-old viaduct. The project was first introduced to the public at a meeting in 2012 after the viaduct had received a poor condition rating and was categorized as functionally obsolete in 2007. The team has secured $152 million of the $398 million needed to build a new “extradosed” bridge immediately to the south of the current viaduct. Site preparation is beginning in 2022.

Western Hills Viaduct Facing southwest toward South Fairmount neighborhood

The existing viaduct will remain in place for traffic until the new bridge is finished in 2030. 

Below are some notable bridges from Hamilton County