CINCINNATI – The new Marburg Avenue Bridge between Oakley and Hyde Park opens this Saturday, Sept. 16. City transportation officials will mark the occasion with a ribbon cutting on site at 3:00 p.m. the same day.

The bridge, which replaces its predecessor at the same location in a ravine over former Norfolk & Southern railroad lines, is 83 feet long and 64 feet wide. It will accommodate two-way traffic and includes a left turn lane onto Wasson Road. The concrete structure features an improved grade, 8-foot wide sidewalks on both sides as well as decorative rails and graphics.

“We are excited about the new bridge,” said Michael Moore, director, Department of Transportation and Engineering. “The community now has a safe bridge with a better grade, wide sidewalks and enhanced aesthetic appeal. We recognize how inconvenient the closure has been and we greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of area residents and businesses.”

Detours in place during the closure, including Victoria and Portsmouth avenues, will be reopened to through traffic Saturday as well.

Crews will continue finish work on the bridge through late October. It includes etching artwork and lettering on the rails, staining and painting the rails, installing permanent pavement markings, earthwork grading, and seeding or sodding the yards of adjacent homeowners.

Construction of the new span started this spring after the old bridge was removed. The old bridge was classified as “structurally deficient” and was in “poor” condition with a rating of 4 on a scale of 0 to 9, according to National Bridge Inspection Standards.

The project cost $2.1 million and was paid for with state and federal grants.