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Cincinnati Considering Funding For Proposed Elmore Connector Bridge

Cincinnati Council could vote Wednesday to spend $310,000 to continue design work on the proposed Elmore Connector Bridge in South Cumminsville. The Ohio Department of Transportation has already spent that amount of money on the plan, and now the city needs to chip in if the work is to continue.

The bridge would maintain direct access to Cincinnati State and the Uptown area from the west side. 

Council member Kevin Flynn supports funding the design work. "That bridge that goes across from I-74 to Central Parkway is coming down, and it's coming down in relatively short order. It takes a lot of traffic, not just for Cincinnati State, but for a lot of different stake holders including residents."

On the other side, Council Member Chris Seelbach voted against spending money for more design work. "I just think it's a waste of $300,000 that could be used for other projects that will likely absolutely happen."

The biggest obstacle for the project could be funding to actually build it. While there's money for design work, right now there's no funding plan for the estimated $40 million construction cost.

Jay Hanselman brings more than 10 years experience as a news anchor and reporter to 91.7 WVXU. He came to WVXU from WNKU, where he hosted the local broadcast of All Things Considered. Hanselman has been recognized for his reporting by the Kentucky AP Broadcasters Association, the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, and the Ohio AP Broadcasters.