CINCINNATI, Ohio — All lanes of southbound Interstate 71 beyond Dana Avenue are closed early Friday, Oct. 23, after a multi-vehicle crash, snarling the morning commute on one of Cincinnati’s main north-south routes.
Police responded to reports of the crash around 5:30 a.m., according to reports from the scene. Images from Ohio Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed several vehicles involved, including one vehicle that had overturned onto its side.
The closure sits along the stretch of I-71 near the Dana Avenue interchange, a heavily traveled corridor connecting downtown Cincinnati with the city’s northeastern neighborhoods and suburbs during the morning rush.
As of the first reports Friday morning, officials had not released confirmed information about injuries or what caused the crash, and no reopening time had been announced. Drivers should expect delays in the area and consider alternate routes while crews work at the scene.
Southbound drivers approaching the closure can use surface streets through the neighborhoods east of the interstate or reroute to Interstate 75 on the west side of the city, depending on their destination, though those routes are likely to see heavier-than-normal traffic while I-71 remains closed.
The crash is an early-morning disruption on a Friday commute that also brings weekend traffic into the city, and transportation officials typically urge drivers to slow down and move over for emergency crews working along the highway.
The Dana Avenue interchange serves the neighborhoods around Xavier University and the Norwood area, and a full southbound closure there pushes traffic onto already busy local streets during the school and work commute. Buses and delivery drivers that rely on the corridor should also expect a slower morning until the scene clears.
Friday’s crash also lands at the start of a busy fall weekend in Cincinnati, when event and visitor traffic adds to normal commuter volume on the interstates through the city. Transportation officials remind drivers to check conditions before leaving and to leave extra time while any lane closures remain in place.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the story will be updated as more information becomes available. Motorists can check ODOT’s traffic cameras and alerts for the latest on when the southbound lanes beyond Dana Avenue reopen.
Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0