Lytle Tunnel Biannual Maintenance Scheduled 

Overnight closures planned May 3-6
Monday night traffic impact changed

Hamilton County (Friday, May 1, 2026) - Overnight closures of the Interstate 71 Lytle Tunnel will be in effect early next week for regularly scheduled biannual maintenance work.

Sunday, May 3:

• Northbound I-71 will be closed at the I-71/75 split (Ohio Exit 1) from 9 p.m. each night to 5 a.m. the following day. 
• Second Street entrance ramp to I-71 North in Cincinnati will be closed; traffic will be routed by way of the Fifth Street entrance ramp to northbound I-71.
• Access to the tunnel from eastbound Fort Washington Way (I-71/U.S. 50) will be prohibited; however, U.S. 50 East will remain open.

Monday, May 4:

• Northbound I-71 will be closed at the I-71/75 split (Ohio Exit 1) from 9 p.m. each night to 5 a.m. the following day. 
• Second Street entrance ramp to I-71 North in Cincinnati will be closed; traffic will be routed by way of the Fifth Street entrance ramp to northbound I-71.
• The exit ramp to Second Street/Downtown (Exit 1A) exit, as well as to U.S. 50 East/I-471 via Fort Washington Way (Exit 1B) will be closed.
• All traffic will be required to follow I-75 North.

Tuesday & Wednesday, May 5 & 6:

• Southbound I-71 will be closed at Exit 2 and through the tunnel from 9 p.m. each night to 5 a.m. the following day, with no access into the I-71 and 3rd Street tunnels. 
• U.S. 42/Eden Park Drive and Eden Park/Dorchester Road entrance ramps will be closed, and motorists may follow the Liberty Street entrance ramp to southbound I-471 and follow I-71 detour.
• Third Street exit ramp to I-71 South will be closed, and motorists will be detoured via Gilbert Avenue/Reading Road to access downtown.

While the tunnel is closed in the northbound direction, I-71 traffic will be detoured via I-75 North to S.R. 126/Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway and I-71, and when it is closed southbound, traffic will be detoured by way of I-471 and I-275 West to I-71/I-75 or via Ronald Reagan and I-75 South. 

Arrow boards and/or signs will be in place to alert motorists of the upcoming work zone and restrictions. All work is contingent upon the weather.

###

For more information contact: 
District 8 Public Information Office
513-933-6517 - or - 513-933-6534

Know Before You Go! For more detailed traffic information, and to get personalized traffic alerts for your commute, download the OHGO app or visit OHGO.com.