CINCINNATI, OH — On Monday July 21 the City of Cincinnati will break ground on a $7.6M safety improvement project on Harrison Avenue. The goal of the project is to reduce speeding, reduce the number and severity of crashes, and improve safety for pedestrians.

The project is located along the four-mile section of Harrison Avenue between Queen City Avenue and Higbee Street in the neighborhoods of Westwood and South Fairmount. Construction is expected to continue through May 2026, and will include:

• New lane striping that will “rightsize” the street. The striping design will include one travel lane in each direction, one center turn lane, and parking on one side of the street. This design has successfully reduced speeding in other neighborhoods and will address many of the crashes throughout the Harrison Avenue corridor.

• 11 sets of speed cushions to calm traffic.

• New crosswalks at Powell Drive and at Bracken Woods Lane. Additionally, all existing marked crosswalks will be repainted.

• Hardened centerlines at 8 intersections. Hardened centerlines are small rubber barriers next to crosswalks that require drivers to make slower, sharper left-hand turns. The barrier also prevents drivers from crossing the double yellow centerline.

• Curb extensions at 8 intersections. A curb extension extends the sidewalk into the parking lane at a crosswalk. Curb extensions visually and physically narrow the roadway, which can result in slower driving speeds. Curb extensions also shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians.

• One-way protected bike lanes from Queen City Avenue to Fairmount Avenue. A protected bike lane has a physical barrier separating bicyclists and vehicles.

• High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) at 4 locations. HFST is a treatment for asphalt pavement that increases friction with vehicle tires, reducing the risk of drivers losing control during wet weather and in roadway curves.

• Two new retaining walls east of Everglade Place. The walls will be located along the south side of the road where the earthwork has moved and damaged the sidewalks over time. The sidewalks that have failed along this section of the roadway will be replaced once the retaining walls are complete.

• Parking edge lines in the Westwood neighborhood business district. Adding the edge lines will clarify the location of parking lanes and should help reduce weaving and passing behavior.

Drivers should expect intermittent lane closures on Harrison Avenue beginning Monday July 21.

More information and a map showing where specific improvements are located is available at https://publicinput.com/HarrisonAve#tab-44007.

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