The recommended preferred route, which would be a four-lane boulevard-style road, starts at Gordon Street and Rhea Avenue with a roundabout. A leg of that roundabout would connect to a bridge that crosses the Great Miami River, coming out at U.S. 127. The route travels south on U.S. 127 before connecting to Vine Street and Heaton Street. A new section of road would be constructed to intersect with Ohio 4 and connect on the other side with Gilmore Avenue.
Then, Gilmore Avenue intersects with Fair Avenue. A new road would intersect with Fair on the east side, south side of the fairgrounds and north side of the Animal Friends Humane Society, coming out on Princeton Road to a figure eight roundabout. That roundabout would connect to a widened Hampshire Drive that intersects with Ohio 129.
Hamilton, for years, only had one way to get from one end of the city to the other without being obstructed by a railroad crossing. In 2018, the South Hamilton Crossing at Grand Boulevard on U.S. 127 opened, but plans had been in discussion since the early 2000s about a northern crossing.
In 2023, the North Hamilton Crossing feasibility study and public feedback helped the project team, led by the Butler County TID, reduce the achievable alternatives to a small group. On Tuesday, at an open house meeting at the Butler County Fairgrounds, around 125 people were told of the recommended preferred alternative.
North Hamilton Crossing had multiple possible routes it could take, based on expert analysis and community feedback. It’s divided into three sections: east, central, and west. The central section was the most complicated as it would impact the most residents. The Butler County TID expected to acquire pieces of or complete parcels along the route, but that won’t be determined until development plans are further along, said Dan Corey, Butler County TID director.
No properties have been acquired for this project, he said. Possible properties could be identified in about a year, but final decisions on properties are at least two to three years away.
“The amount of space needed will vary from property to property,” Corey said, adding that if whole properties are needed, relocation assistance and financing would be available as housing costs for a new home won’t be more than what you pay at the time of the acquisition.
The city of Hamilton has been working on standalone infrastructure projects, such as the Gordon Street/North B Street/Rhea Avenue roundabout project. In May, it was reported the city would be seeking millions of dollars in federal funds for this and other sections of the North Hamilton Crossing project.
Credit: Provided
Credit: Provided
The plan is to build the North Hamilton Crossing from the west to the east, in large part due to the age and condition of the Black Street Bridge, a 100-year-old structure that will be converted into a pedestrian bridge.
Eventually, when it comes time for the formal recommendation to ODOT, this route will go from the recommended preferred alternative to the preferred alternative, said Hamilton Director of Engineering Allen Messer.
“We’ve looked into possible changes that came up during the study process or were suggested by community members,” he said. “We wanted a deeper understanding of the options available to us. We didn’t just want to know how well they would work, but also what their impacts would be.”
A 45-day virtual open house is open until Aug. 8, then this fall, the Butler County TID and city of Hamilton will issue comments from the public comments. Over the next several months, the North Hamilton Crossing project team will prepare an environmental assessment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other federal environmental statutes and regulations.
An NEPA decision is expected in the summer of 2026.
NHX Virtual Open House
To participate in the North Hamilton Crossing Virtual Open House, visit www.publicinput.com/nhxmtg4
The Virtual Open House page has plans and proposed routes, as well as frequently asked questions, including about property acquisition.
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