Lytle Tunnel

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Inside the tunnel

[edit] Overview

The Lytle tunnel is a vehicular tunnel that carries Interstate 71 under the historic Lytle Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. It is a six lane tunnel with three tubes. There is a two lane southbound tube, a three lane northbound tube, and a one lane southbound tube that separates from the highway and serves as an exit ramp to the downtown. The tunnel is ventilated by two grates in the northbound tube and the southbound exiting tube. It was completed in 1970 [1]. At 335 meters (1100 feet), it is the longest vehicle tunnel in Ohio. It is also the only tunnel on Interstate 71.

During the construction of the Lytle Tunnel many historic buildings were razed for the project. The old Lytle Park was like a town square, with many Greek Revival buildings surrounding the park. On the park's east side is the well known Taft Museum of Art. A few of the original buildings remain, including Cincinnati Literary Club, the Ann Louise Inn, Gilford School and the Phelps Apartments.

A CB radio broadcast on channel 19, the most commonly used commercial trucking frequency, loops a warning about this turn and its hazards 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

[edit] History

Northern entrance to the tunnel

During a period between January 2001 and May 2003, the tunnel was notorious for many truck accidents in the tunnel. The two main reasons for this were:

Truck drivers were not obeying the 40 MPH warning signs at the beginning of the tubes.
There was a sharp curve near and in the tunnel.^[1]

In May 2003, the Ohio Department of Transportation installed radar detectors in the ends of the tunnel that would show the posted speed for trucks, and the actual speed of the vehicle.^[2]