Columbia Parkway - Route Description

Route Description

US 50 enters Ohio from Indiana at a traffic light with State Line Road. The route heads northeast as a four-lane undivided highway, passing through farmland and paralleling a railroad track. The highway passes under Interstate 275 before entering the extreme western suburbs of the greater Cincinnati area. The road has an at-grade crossing with a railroad track, before curving southeast. US 50 has a traffic signal at the intersection with SR 128. Southeast of SR 128, US 50 becomes a four-lane divided highway and cross over the Great Miami River. After the river the route enters Cleves and curves due south and passes through residential properties. In Cleves the highway has a traffic signal with SR 264, before leaving Cleves and entering North Bend. In North Bend the road continues to pass through woodland and residential properties, before passing the monument and tomb of President William Henry Harrison. The highway curves east-southeast and becomes a four-lane undivided highway, before leaving North Bend. The road parallels the Ohio River and passes through a mix of woodland, residential and industrial properties. The route begins to curve northeast and enters Cincinnati.

US 50 begins a concurrency with SR 264, at an intersection in the Lower Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati. The two routes heads east and is locally known as the Sixth Street Expressway. The expressway heads east as a six-lane divided highway passing through industrial properties. As the highway heads east it crosses over a railroad track and the Mill Creek. East of the Mill Creek, the road passes under a railroad track, before an eastbound exit towards Mehring Way. Followed by a westbound entrance from Harriet Street, before passing under another railroad track. The highway has an interchange with Freeman Avenue, this interchange does not have a westbound exit. The expressway passes over some railroad tracks and Linn Street, followed by an eastbound entrance and westbound exit to and from Linn Street. East of the interchange with Linn Street, is a bridge over Gest Street, with a westbound exit. After Gest Street, is an interchange with SR 264, this interchange serves downtown Cincinnati. The Sixth Street Expressway end at an interchange with Interstate 75 (I–75) and Second Street. US 50 curves southeast and begins a concurrency with I–71.

I–71 and US 50 head east through downtown on an expressway locally known as Fort Washington Way. Fort Washington Way is a eight-lane divided depressed expressway, passing under five city streets. The highway passes Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ballpark, before I–71 leaves US 50. East of I–71, US 50 is locally known as Columbia Parkway, a four-lane divided highway. The parkway curves northeast having an interchange with I–471, on the east side of downtown. After I–75 the route passes through residential, parallel to the Ohio River. The road has an eastbound exit and a westbound entrance interchange with Martin Drive. After Martin Drive the roadway passes through woodland, as a six-lane undivided highway. The parkway has an eastbound slip ramp with U.S. Route 50 Truck, east of this ramp trucks are not allowed. After the slip ramp the highway curves east, passing over Collins Avenue and having a traffic signal at Torrence Parkway and William Howard Taft Road. East of the traffic signal the route curves southeast having a traffic signal at Delta Avenue. East of Delta Avenue, the roadway becomes a four-lane undivided highway, having a traffic signal at Stanley Avenue. The route becomes a four-lane divided highway, before making a very sharp northeast.

After the sharp curve US 50 heads northeast, having an interchange at SR 32, SR 125, and SR 561, the street is locally known as Beechmont Avenue. Northeast of Beechmont Avenue the parkway crosses over both Linwood Avenue and Heekin Avenue, before an interchange with Eastern Avenue. The Eastern Avenue interchange only allows for westbound exit and eastbound entrance, it is also the eastern terminus of US 50 Truck. From this interchange east truck are allow. The route enters Fairfax and has a bridge over some railroad tracks, followed by a bridge over Red Bank Road. After Red Bank Road the highway passes under a railroad track, before having an interchange with Red Bank Road. The highway passes through commercial properties having a traffic signal at Wooster Pike. The traffic signal at Wooster Pike is the eastern terminus of the Columbia Parkway.

US 50 heads northeast, locally known as Wooster Pike. The route heads through commercial properties as a two-lane undivided highway, before leaves Fairfax and enters Mariemont. In Mariemont US 50 becomes a two-lane divided highway passing through residential properties. The roadway becomes a four-lane divided highway in the business area of Mariemont. After leaving the business area of Mariemont the route becomes a four-lane undivided highway, passing through commercial properties. The route becomes a two-lane highway with a center turn lane, at an intersection with Newtown Road. The road curves northeast, passing north of the Kroger Hills State Reserve and passing under the Ohio to Erie Trail bike trail, also known as Ohio Bicycle Route 1. The highway enters Terrace Park, having an intersection with SR 126, this intersection is also the western terminus of SR 28. Both US 50 and SR 28 cross over the Little Miami River and enters the City of Milford. The route curves southeast, before turning northeast, passing through the downtown area of Milford. North of downtown the roadway curves east, passing through residential properties, with some commercial properties.

The concurrency turns northeast and has a six-way intersection, where US 50 turns southeast and SR 28 continues northeast. US 50 heads southeast as a four-lane undivided highway, passing through commercial properties. The highway has a traffic signal at SR 131 and Milford Parkway, Milford Parkway gives access to I–275. Southeast of this intersection the roadway narrows to a two-lane divided highway. The highway passes under I–275, with no access. The route curves due south and has an intersection with SR 450 (Milford Parkway), SR 450 has access to I–275.

East of Milford, US 50 becomes a two-lane highway as it travels through Hillsboro and Bainbridge before reaching the outskirts of Chillicothe. In Chillicothe, US 50 becomes Western Avenue and then Main Street before merging with U.S. Route 23 and U.S. Route 35 east of the city. State Route 104 overlaps US 50 through downtown Chillicothe. As US 50 leaves Chillicothe it becomes a two-lane highway once again as it winds its way through McArthur and heavy forested Southern Ohio before reaching the outskirts of Athens where it becomes a four-lane highway. It will remain four-lane until reaching the Ohio River. US 50 joins with State Route 32 near the Ohio University Bush Airport–Snyder Field in Albany, west of Athens. US 50 intersects with U.S. Route 33 east of the city before continuing eastward toward Belpre and the Ohio River. US 50 begins to overlap SR 7 near Reedsville as it heads north along the river, and splits from SR 7 before it crosses the river on the Blennerhassett Island Bridge to Parkersburg, West Virginia.