ABOUT NHX
North Hamilton Crossing has been a city, county, and regional transportation objective since the early 2000s. It’s been included in local and regional transportation planning documents since 2002 and has remained a top priority in both the City of Hamilton’s comprehensive plan, Plan Hamilton, and the Butler County Thoroughfare Plan.​
​​
​
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the project is to improve east-west connectivity north of SR 129 in the City of Hamilton to reduce congestion and improve safety and mobility in support of current and planned economic growth in the City and in western Butler County, as identified in Plan Hamilton and the Butler County Thoroughfare Plan.​​
Primary Needs
-
Improve east-west connectivity
-
Address insufficient crossings of the Great Miami River
-
Address lack of grade-separated railroad crossings
-
Enhance mobility/reduce congestion on the local road network
-
Improve safety on roads within the project area and at railroad crossings
​
Secondary Needs
-
Support planned and proposed economic development
-
Improve bike/pedestrian connectivity within the city and to the regional/state shared-use path system
-
Improve multi-modal linkage, including bus transportation options
​​
The Concept
The North Hamilton Crossing will include:
-
A new bridge over the Great Miami River
-
A new railroad overpass
-
A new road to better connect North B Street, US 127, SR 4 and SR 129.
The NHX roadway will be a four-lane, boulevard-style road (two travel lanes in each direction) with a turn lane or landscaped median in the middle. It will have a speed limit of 35 mph and a sidewalk or shared-use path on each side. Crosswalks and bump-outs (where feasible) will be included at street corners to make crossing the street easier and safer.
A conceptual rendering of the NHX.
​
The study area was divided into three geographic sections to help make the evaluation process easier:
West Section: North B Street to US 127
Central Section: US 127 to North Fair Avenue
East Section: North Fair Avenue to SR 129/High Street
In June 2025, the City and BCTID announced a recommended route for each of these three sections based on the findings of studies completed and public input received. Together, they form the Recommended Preferred Alternative for the NHX. The recommended routes are shown in the map below.
NHX Location
The NHX will be located in northeast Hamilton.
The NHX study area extends between NW Washington Blvd. and North B St. on the west side of the Great Miami River, and US 127 (North 3rd St.), SR 4 (Erie Blvd.) and SR 129 at Hampshire Dr. on the east side, all north of SR 129/High St. Possible route alternatives are located within this area.
​
The Recommended Preferred Alternative​
In June 2025, the City and BCTID announced a recommended route for each of these three sections based on the findings of studies completed and public input received. Together, they form the Recommended Preferred Alternative for the NHX. The recommended routes are shown in the map below. ​
These recommended routes have not yet been approved and therefore are not final. They also may be adjusted as more input is received and the project continues to be developed in more detail. As a result, specific impacts to properties are not yet known. More clarity is expected to be available in Summer 2026. Visit the Process page for more information about the Recommended Preferred Alternative review and approval process.
Click here to view a high-resolution version of the map.
West Section: Gordon/Rhea Crossing (South River Crossing)
Located south of the two-mile dam and north of the Black Street Bridge, this crossing includes a new bridge across the Great Miami River, starting where Gordon Avenue and Rhea Avenue intersect with North B Street on the west side of the river and connecting with US 127 just south of the hydraulic canal on the east side of the river.
Central Section: Vine Street Connection
This section begins on US 127 just north of the Vine Street intersection, then turns southeast to cross over the CSX railroad tracks and Vine Street and connects with Heaton Street in the vicinity of North 7th Street. At Heaton and North 11th Street, the road follows a new, short connection to SR 4 just south of the fire station, then crosses through the Butler County Educational Service Center’s parking lot and follows Gilmore Avenue to North Fair Avenue.
East Section: East Connection
Starting at North Fair Avenue, this section of the NHX runs east between the Butler County Fairgrounds and Butler County Children Services/Juvenile Detention Center properties, then turns southeast and travels past the Humane Society before turning south and crossing Princeton Road to connect with SR 129 via Hampshire Drive.
Visit the Process page to learn more project development.
The Black Street Bridge
The Black Street Bridge is 100 years old and can’t support the volume of traffic that uses it for much longer. Due to the manner in which it was constructed, the bridge’s limited space cannot be expanded.
Therefore, NHX will include a new bridge across the Great Miami River. The Black Street Bridge will be preserved for bicycle and pedestrian use. Small public shuttles may be used on the bridge in the future to transport people back and forth across the river. The Black Street Bridge is not expected to be closed to vehicular traffic until the new bridge crossing is in place.
Railroad Overpass
There are 23 locations where trains cross streets in the city with only two grade-separated crossings (one overpass and one underpass). Studies found that street-level (or at-grade) crossings within the study area are blocked by trains 25% of the day. To provide relief for drivers and help improve traffic flow, NHX will include a new railroad overpass.
Traffic stopped at the train crossing on Heaton Street in the study area.
View of the South Hamilton Crossing railroad overpass (photos courtesy of the City of Hamilton).