Eden Park is one of Cincinnati's signature destinations — the kind of place you go for a relaxing walk or bike ride.
City engineers are finalizing plans to make it just a bit more inviting for those activities. They're also gearing up to repair the 107-year-old Park Avenue Bridge.
Senior engineer Joe Conway explains the roadway changes.
"With the improvements that we're making, we're really going to give it space to breathe," he says. "We're going to give pedestrians the chance to cross the street feeling a little bit more comfortable, certainly feeling safer, and we're going to give that experience to all users."
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Specifically, the city is looking at the following adjustments:
- Raised crosswalks at Luray Avenue and Krohn Conservatory
- Redesigned intersections at Luray Avenue and Eden Park Drive
- An all-way stop at Martin and Eden Park Drives
- Curb extensions at a number of intersections
- New and widened sidewalks along several parts of the mile-long project
- Bike lanes between William Howard Taft Road and Park Avenue
- More on-street parking near the conservatory
- New streetlights
- Use of smog-eating pavement technology titanium dioxide. This will be the second time the city has used the tech — the first was on Montgomery Road in Pleasant Ridge in 2020.
In addition to the road improvements, the Park Avenue Bridge is also getting some needed repair work and safety features. The span was built in 1917, senior engineer Reiner Reising says.
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"At the time it was opened, it was the second-longest concrete span in the country," he says. "The bridge has need of repairs in some areas, but overall it rates too well to allow for funding by itself. So lumping the bridge in with the safety improvements of the corridor made this a great project that was able to qualify for federal grants."
The bridge will get new railings and streetlights, a new driving surface and 16-foot wide shared use paths on both sides in addition to other repairs.
The city has been holding informational meetings and collecting feedback since 2022. Engineers expect construction will begin in Spring of 2026. You can learn more about the project and provide input through June 22 online.