I-75 shuts down in both directions through downtown Cincinnati the weekend of Sept. 25, pushing detour traffic onto I-71 and the Norwood Lateral through Oakley.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will close I-75 between Freeman Avenue and the I-71/75 split so crews can install nine steel girders for the new Linn Street Bridge, WCPO reported. Ramp and lane closures begin at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, with the mainline shutting down at 11 p.m. I-75 is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 28.

ODOT said the closure is weather permitting, according to WCPO. No backup weekend has been announced.

Detour runs through Oakley

ODOT's signed detour sends northbound I-75 through traffic onto I-71 North and then westbound S.R. 562, the Norwood Lateral. Southbound through traffic takes the Lateral eastbound to I-71 South, reconnecting with I-75 at the Brent Spence Bridge, according to WLWT.

S.R. 562 cuts through Norwood and Oakley, making it the primary bypass for all I-75 through traffic during the Sept. 25–28 closure. Residents along the corridor can expect heavier volumes and slower travel on local roads feeding the Lateral.

ODOT is encouraging heavy trucks to skip downtown entirely and use I-275 instead.

Detour adds cost for trucking firms

The reroute is more than an inconvenience for commercial haulers. Jack Wardle, general manager of Cincinnati-based K.E. Warehouse, told WCPO the extra miles and idle time will raise fuel costs and cut the number of loads each truck can run per day.

"You might actually see less deliveries per day out of each truck," Wardle said. "That's something that we're ready and expecting as well."

Linn Street project runs through 2029

The weekend shutdown is part of the Linn Street Reconstruction Project, itself a piece of the larger Brent Spence Bridge Corridor job on I-71 and I-75. The Linn Street Bridge is expected to be finished in late 2027, with related work in the area continuing through 2029, according to WLWT.

Separately, the ramp from eastbound U.S. 50 to southbound I-75 is scheduled to close the evening of Sunday, Sept. 27, for approximately four months, into January 2027.

Drivers can check real-time conditions at ohgo.com or contact ODOT District 8 at 513-933-6517.