Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously an ordinance allowing the City to appropriate property for the $6 million relocation of four sets of railroad tracks, which will make way for the replacement of the Waldvogel Viaduct.

The ordinance follows a resolution approving the appropriation passed by council on May 6.

The approximately 6.11 acres are required to move the railroad tracks, located , approximately 100 feet south as part of the replacement's first phase.

Council also is considering an ordinance that would allow the City to enter into a local public agency agreement with the --> --> --> (ODOT), a signal that the City intends to follow ODOT guidelines for construction of the project and a condition for receiving federal funding.

The $5.035 million in federal funding consists of $3.96 million in Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) Federal Surface Transportation Program funds and $1.075 million in OKI Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding.

The remainder of the project will be funded through the City's Waldvogel Viaduct Replacement '07 capital improvement program project account.

A second phase, scheduled to begin in spring 2011, would construct five new bridges and an at-grade roadway for US-50 and would re-align River Road to current design standards.

The entire $64 million project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012.

So far, $50 million in state and federal funding has been secured for the project.

CORRECTION: A previous story published on May 14, 2009 erroneously said that an ordinance had been passed by council, not a resolution.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati approves Waldvogel appropriations (5/14/09)
Waldvogel appropriations passed by committee (5/6/09)