A Cincinnati council committee will hear about four options Wednesday to repair concrete near the streetcar track at the intersections of Walnut Street with Court and Ninth streets.
Crumbling concrete near the track drains was discovered last year. The problems caused the track drains to come loose and it has been temporarily repaired. But contractors agree it needs to be permanently fixed and would be covered under warranty at no additional cost to the city.
The problem doesn't pose any immediate danger. The repairs couldn't happen during the winter months because concrete work can only be done when the temperatures are warmer.
All the repair options include lane closures on Walnut between Court and Ninth for at least two to four days. Streetcar service on the Downtown loop could also be suspended.
The repairs options are:
- Option 1 assumes work is permitted to occur 24 hours per day and would require a duration of approximately four days. Two days would be required to perform demolition of the existing concrete and two days are required to pour and cure the new concrete. During this time, no vehicle traffic of any kind, including streetcar traffic, would be permitted on the track. Therefore, streetcar service in the downtown loop would be halted for approximately four days. The work once completed will remain under warranty for two years.
- Option 2 assumes work would take place over approximately five days, with demolition work occurring during nightly closures over Days 1-3. Option 2 also assumes the streetcar will be permitted to operate during the day with flaggers detouring other vehicles. New concrete pour and cure would take place over day 4-5.
- Option 3 is the same as Option 2, except streetcars only would be permitted to run over the newly poured concrete during the two-day cure period. This would result in no shutdown of streetcar service, however, the contractor has stated that they will not provide warranty for the work in this scenario.
- Option 4 is the same as Option 1, except streetcars only would be permitted to run over the newly poured concrete during the two-day cure period. This would result in a two- day shutdown of streetcar service during the demolition work. However, the contractor has stated that they will not provide warranty for the work in this scenario.
City administrators and the contractors, who will be doing the work, prefer Option 1.
The city said it considered safety, noise, traffic maintenance and timing when making its decision.
Council's Major Transportation and Regional Cooperation Committee will likely be asked to vote Wednesday on which option it favors for the repair work.
