Crews have started building the last stretch of the Columbia Connector Trail through Mariemont. The 0.7-mile segment will link walkers and cyclists to the Little Miami Scenic Trail by spring 2028.

The $3.1 million final phase will connect the Mariemont Connector, Murray Path and Wasson Way, closing a key gap in the Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network (CROWN), a planned 34-mile loop around the city. Great Parks of Hamilton County is managing the project.

"This is the eastern leg of the larger CROWN project, which is a 34-mile loop planned to circle the entire city," Ben Helmes, site project delivery manager for Great Parks, told WCPO on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The first two phases of the Columbia Connector broke ground in January 2020. Once the final segment is finished, the trail will tie together neighborhoods stretching from Mt. Lookout and Oakley through Madisonville, Fairfax, Mariemont and Columbia Township.

Who's paying

Federal dollars make up the largest share. The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) is providing nearly $1.7 million through two grants: a $1 million Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) award and $698,677 from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ). The Clean Ohio Trails Fund is contributing $338,600, and CROWN is adding $300,000 in private funds. Those three sources total about $2.34 million; Great Parks has not detailed where the remaining roughly $760,000 comes from.

What residents can expect

Helmes said traffic impacts should be minimal, though some lane closures are possible along the route during construction.

Mary Tensing, a Mariemont resident who lives next door to the construction site, told WCPO the project is welcome. She said it is positive for her neighborhood and for the greater Cincinnati area.

Great Parks' newsroom page describes the segment as a critical link in the regional CROWN network. Completion is estimated for spring 2028.