The planned closure of a section of the Loveland bike trail during prime cycling and hiking months with no posted detours is sparking fears of a traffic nightmare on Ohio 48.
What's being closed?
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will block off about 300 yards of the trail between Nisbet Park in Loveland and Lyon Avenue just north of the city to replace a 100-year-old pedestrian bridge over O’Bannon Creek.
How long is the closure?
Closures were set to start March 6, and continue until the end of the month. The trail section closes again from May to October.
Are there detours set?
Department spokeswoman Stephanie O'Grady confirmed in an email that no detours will be posted during closures, which were set. When asked, O'Grady did not say why the department will not post detours.
It owns and maintains the section of the Little Miami Scenic Trail that includes what is known as the Loveland bike trail and the bridge.
She encouraged cyclists and hikers to enjoy sections of the trail north and south of the bridge work.
'Cycle at your own risk'
But that doesn’t mollify some people on Loveland's Facebook page who say cyclists likely will bypass the construction and reconnect with the trail via Ohio 48 north to Lyon Avenue.
There were complaints about the plan on the community page.
- " ‘No marked detour’ sounds like code for ‘no liability - cycle at your own risk,’” one woman wrote.
- A man complained that it is not unusual for trails to be closed with no marked detours. “This is the way cyclists are frequently disrespected,” he wrote. “Imagine the outrage if a road was closed with no marked detour.”
- Another woman wrote that officials won't be doing motorists on Ohio 48 any favors, either, if they don't warn them of a possible influx of cyclists. “Maybe have signs put up further north on 48 to warn (crazy) drivers of pedestrians/cyclists??” she suggested.
Parking suggestions
O’Grady said that people who want to explore the Little Miami Scenic Trail south of the pedestrian bridge can park at a variety of lots near Nisbet Park at 126 Karl Brown Way.
There’s an unrelated trail closure at Grandin Road in Warren County, she said.
So, she advised that good places for people to park if they want to use the trail north of the bridge are in South Lebanon at the intersection of South Main Street and Zoar Road and in Morrow at 240 Main St.
Why now?
O'Grady addressed another concern of some people on Loveland’s Facebook page: The timing of the work. She said project delays forced the department to reschedule its original plan, which involved clearing the area in January before launching construction to be completed in May.
“By removing trees in March, we will avoid disturbing any (endangered) Indiana bats that may roost in them beginning in the spring,” O'Grady said.
“A delay of this project to the fall would have increased its cost as material costs have increased.”
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