Major Highway Systems of Cincinnati
There are many roads crossing through the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, and in this article, we shall be discussing some of them, primarily the major routes, such as the Interstate Freeways, or the US Routes, not to mention other major roads, not in the highway system, or State Routes. We also shall be discussing other ways to get around in Cincy. Now, without further ado, let us begin.
Interstates 71, 74, and 75 are major routes connecting Cincinnati to Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky; Indianapolis; and Dayton and Columbus in Ohio. The metropolitan area is encircled by an outer-belt, Interstate 275, the longest loop highway in the country. Interstate 471 connects a portion of Northern Kentucky to downtown Cincinnati.
Cincinnati is also served by numerous U.S. highways: US 22, US 25, US 27, US 42, US 50, US 52, and US 127.
Prominent freeways include Mill Creek Expressway (Interstate 75), Fort Washington Way (Interstate 71), the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway, the Norwood Lateral Expressway, Columbia Parkway, and the Sixth Street Expressway. The Appalachian Highway extends east from Cincinnati across southern Ohio to West Virginia.
The downtown area features a system of viaducts with names such as Western Hills, Ida, and formerly Waldvogel.
Here is a list of bridges too, as you might encounter them during your trip to the Queen City.
The city has a river ferry and many bridges. The Anderson Ferry has been in continuous operation since 1817. Cincinnati’s major bridges include:
• The Newport Southbank Bridge (a.k.a. the Purple People Bridge because of its status as a pedestrian-only bridge as well as its color)
• The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge Opened in 1866, this bridge was the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge, also designed by Roebling.
• The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge (a.k.a. the Big Mac bridge for its yellow arches, reminiscent of the McDonald’s logo) carries I-471 and connects Cincinnati with Newport, Kentucky
• The Brent Spence Bridge A double-decker truss bridge carrying I-71/75 connecting Cincinnati with Covington, Kentucky
• The Clay Wade Bailey Bridge
• The Taylor-Southgate Bridge
• The Combs-Hehl Bridge a twin-span truss, part of the I-275 loop and commonly called “The 275 Bridge”, it travels through Fort Thomas, Kentucky and connects to the neighborhood of California, the easternmost neighborhood in the city limits.
Amtrak’s Cardinal train travels to Chicago and Indianapolis to the northwest and to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City to the east. It goes in each direction three times each week and arrives in Cincinnati between 1 and 3:30 AM. Its ticket office and station are at Cincinnati Union Terminal.
Greyhound operates a 24-hour bus terminal in Downtown Cincinnati with trips to all major nearby cities and connections to the rest of the country. Regional carriers GO Bus and Barron’s Bus also serve the terminal. For the last couple of years, Megabus has also operated several trips a week between Cincinnati and a few major cities in the midwest. Chinatown bus lines connect Cincinnati with New York City