Great Parks of Hamilton County will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the start of construction of the final phase of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, known as the Beechmont Bridge Connector, which will link hundreds of miles of multipurpose trails in Greater Cincinnati and beyond. The ceremony is open to the public and scheduled for Monday, June 14, at the trail’s southern terminus at Beechmont Avenue.

When complete, this section of trail will include a river bridge, an underpass at Beechmont Avenue, and a short tunnel. From the Little Miami Scenic Trail’s current endpoint near State Route 32 and Beechmont Avenue, the half-mile extension will connect with the Otto Armleder Memorial Park to Lunken Trail and the future Elstun Road Connector.

“The Beechmont Bridge Connector represents a major step forward for our regional trail system,” said Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks. “For the first time, trail users will be able to continue from the Little Miami Scenic Trail to the Ohio River Trail safely and without disruption. The public showed their support for important trail connections during our Comprehensive Master Plan process, and the Connector has always been a top priority for Great Parks.”

Great Parks has been an active leader in the regional development of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which stretches 78 miles from Springfield, Ohio, to Anderson Township and is one of the longest multi-use trails in the country.

The Beechmont Bridge Connector will complete the Little Miami Scenic Trail by first extending it through a new tunnel under the State Route 32 westbound ramp to Beechmont Avenue. It will then pass under Beechmont Avenue and cross over the Little Miami River on a new bridge adjacent to, but physically separated from, the eastbound lane of the Beechmont Avenue Bridge. Finally, it will connect to the Lunken Loop and the Armleder to Lunken Trail.

“The trail community is thankful that Great Parks has stepped up to the challenge to complete this complex trail connection,” said Wade Johnston, director of Tri-State Trails, an initiative of Green Umbrella. “Their investment in the Beechmont Bridge will benefit our region for generations to come.”

Great Parks secured 100% of the funding for the $7.9 million project. This funding includes 27% from Great Parks’ capital project funds as a local match for state capital and federal (CMAQ) funding through the OKI Regional Council of Governments. The design and engineering were facilitated by the City if Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering in collaboration with Great Parks and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Bidding and construction are being managed by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The project is expected to be completed by late summer to early fall of 2022. All construction-related impacts to trail accessibility will be posted online at greatparks.org.