One of Southwest Ohio's most urgent infrastructure projects would move forward if the SORTA board approves a recent proposal to allocate Issue 7 funding to the replacement plan for the Western Hills Viaduct.
The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) has proposed a plan that would cover the unfunded portion of the Western Hills Viaduct, which Scott Wartman calls "one of the region's largest infrastructure needs." The $205 million needed would come from a 0.8% sales tax approved by voters last May, known as Issue 7. "The infrastructure committee also approved the plan for 30 other projects throughout Hamilton County, including new roads and sidewalks that would be done over the next two years."
"The sales tax raises about $100 million annually for the bus system and another $30 million each year for roads and bridges." The largest of these projects, the deteriorating viaduct "is one of the main entrances to Cincinnati's West Side, crossing Mill Creek and a large railyard." Local officials have been discussing ways to fund a replacement since 2009, a project that gained urgency when a piece of concrete fell on a car in 2017.
According to State Rep. Bill Seitz, "it wasn't just the sales tax that made the viaduct happen. He also credited the Ohio General Assembly for allowing counties to raise the vehicle license fee $5 for infrastructure projects. This allowed Hamilton County in 2017 to raise an additional $33 million for the project."
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