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. It’s also included in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Government’s 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
PURPOSE & NEED
The purpose of the project is to improve east-west connectivity north of SR 129 within 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.
Primary Needs
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Improve east-west connectivity
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Address insufficient crossings of the Great Miami River
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Address lack of grade-separated railroad crossings
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Enhance mobility/reduce congestion on the local road network
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Improve safety on roads within the project area and at railroad crossings
Secondary Needs
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Support planned and proposed economic development
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Improve bike/pedestrian connectivity within the city and to the regional/state shared-use path system
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Improve multi-modal linkage, including bus transportation options
Primary needs are transportation needs that must be addressed to the extent feasible, in order to satisfy a project's purpose. Secondary needs are issues to be addressed if enough funding is available.
THE CONCEPT
To address the needs identified above, the North Hamilton Crossing will include:
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A new bridge over the Great Miami River
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A new railroad overpass
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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.
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.
THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE
Between 2021 and 2025, 18 alternative routes for the NHX were developed, analyzed and shared with stakeholders, project area neighbors and the broader community for review and input. Through this process, these options were narrowed down and refined. In 2025, a Recommended Preferred Alternative was identified and shared with the community for review and comment. After reviewing the comments received, this recommended alternative was confirmed as the Preferred Alternative – or the preferred route – for the project.
Click here to view a high-resolution version of the map.
The Preferred Alternative was divided into three sections for study purposes – West, Central and East. The construction of each section will likely be divided into smaller, individual projects and completed as funding becomes available. Current efforts are focused primarily on the West Section.
West Section (North B Street to US 127)
The West section of NHX begins at North B Street and Rhea Avenue on the west side of the Great Miami River. It extends east over a new bridge across the Great Miami to US 127, near North 2nd Street. In addition to the new bridge, the West Section includes improvements at North B Street and Gordon Avenue, a new roundabout at the intersection of North B Street and Rhea Avenue, and a new roundabout on the east side of the river where the NHX intersects with US 127.
Central Section (US 127 to North Fair Avenue)
In the Central section, the NHX route follows US 127 south for approximately a quarter mile, then turns southeast and crosses over the CSX railroad tracks and Vine Street before connecting with Heaton Street near North 7th Street. At Heaton and North 11th Street, the route follows a new connection with 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 a new roundabout at North Fair Avenue.
East Section (North Fair Avenue to SR 129 at Hampshire Drive)
From North Fair Avenue, the NHX route 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 about the route selection process.
The Black Street Bridge
Now more than 100 years old, the Black Street Bridge is nearing the end of its serviceable life and increased maintenance will be needed to keep the bridge operational for car and truck traffic. Additionally, due to the way the bridge was built, it can’t be widened to add more lanes to accommodate future traffic demand.
The NHX will include a new bridge across the Great Miami River to replace the Black Street Bridge, which will be preserved for bicycle and pedestrian use. Small public shuttles may also 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
While there are 26 locations in Hamilton where trains cross streets, there are only two grade-separated crossings (South Hamilton overpass and the SR 129 underpass). Studies found that street-level (or at-grade) crossings within the study area are blocked by trains approximately 25% of the day, contributing to road congestion and impacting emergency response time. To provide help improve traffic flow and improve emergency responses, the NHX will include a new railroad overpass.
Traffic in the study area stopped at the train crossing on Heaton Street.
View of the South Hamilton Crossing railroad overpass (photos courtesy of the City of Hamilton).