Both directions of I-75, the main interstate link between Mason and downtown Cincinnati, will shut down Friday, Sept. 25, and will not reopen until 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 28.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced the full weekend closure in a bulletin sent Sept. 16. Crews from Great Lakes Construction will install bridge beams over the interstate as part of the $46.7 million Linn Street Bridge Replacement and Reconstruction project. For Mason and Deerfield Township residents who commute south on I-75, the closure means planning alternate routes or avoiding the corridor entirely.

What's closing

Northbound I-75 will fully close at the U.S. 50 West exit (Exit 1D) at 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. Southbound I-75 will fully close at the Freeman Avenue exit (Exit 1F) at the same time. Lane restrictions begin earlier: entrance ramps from Fort Washington Way, Fourth Street and Sixth Street close at 9 p.m. Friday, and single-lane closures start around 9 p.m. on both sides of the interstate before expanding to full shutdowns.

Several ramps in the area will also close. A separate ramp closure begins Sunday, Sept. 27: the ramp from eastbound U.S. 50 to I-75 South will shut down at or after 8:30 p.m. as part of the broader Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project. That ramp closure will last until January 2027, according to ODOT.

Detour routes

Northbound: Through-traffic should follow the signed detour at the I-71/I-75 split, taking I-71 North to westbound State Route 562 (the Norwood Lateral). Drivers needing downtown access can still reach the West Fifth Street exit (Exit 1C) and the U.S. 50 West/River Road exit (Exit 1D), then follow local streets back to I-75 North.

Southbound: Drivers should take eastbound S.R. 562/Norwood Lateral to I-71 South, which reconnects with I-75 at the Brent Spence Bridge. Drivers can also exit at Freeman Avenue (Exit 1F) and follow West Eighth Street, Central Avenue and West Ninth Street to re-enter the interstate.

Trucking impact

ODOT is encouraging heavy trucks traveling through Cincinnati to use Interstate 275 to bypass the closure entirely. WCPO spoke with a local warehouse operator about the closure's effect on freight movement. Jack Wardle, general manager of K.E. Warehouse, a bonded warehouse and trucking operation in Cincinnati, told WCPO the closure will mean longer delivery times and higher fuel costs.

"Your idle time, so your fuel cost is going to go up because it's more miles," Wardle said. "… You might actually see less deliveries per day out of each truck."

The bigger project

The Linn Street Bridge project will replace and reconstruct the bridge between West Eighth and West Court streets. The new bridge will have two 10-foot driving lanes with bike lanes and sidewalks on each side. Linn Street is expected to reopen to traffic in fall 2027, with all work scheduled for completion in late spring 2029.

I-75 is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 28. ODOT District 8's public information office: (513) 933-6517.