Construction for the Fort Mitchell Gateway has eliminated the Buttermilk Pike sidewalk. Pedestrians and cyclists now face five lanes of traffic with no safe path through one of Northern Kentucky's busier corridors.
The sidewalk between Chamber Center Drive and the Interstate 71/75 interchange is gone while crews add a turn lane on Buttermilk Pike (KY 371) as part of the Royal Drive street reconstruction. Some walkers have cut through the active construction zone. Others have crossed five lanes at spots with no crosswalk, WKRC first reported Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) said the lane work requires the sidewalk to be rebuilt and that pedestrian access cannot be provided during construction. The agency said signage is in place to warn walkers and cyclists that the path is temporarily blocked.
Fort Mitchell Mayor Greg Pohlgeers told WKRC the situation is a state permitting issue, not a city matter.
Royal Drive is now open and can serve as a detour, but it adds an extra mile to what is normally a 10-minute walk. Even that route lacks a finished sidewalk, meaning pedestrians end up walking on dirt or in the street.
Buttermilk Pike connects to Dixie Highway and the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) bus line, a link riders use to reach Cincinnati or Florence. The closure cuts off that pedestrian access for at least another month.
What's behind the construction
The lane addition is part of infrastructure work supporting the Fort Mitchell Gateway, a 26-acre mixed-use redevelopment on the former Drawbridge Inn site. The Kenton County Planning Commission approved the project's concept development plan in August 2024. Plans call for restaurant and retail space, two St. Elizabeth medical office buildings, and The Ormsby, a 203-unit senior living community with a 48-bed health center.
Fort Mitchell approved an interlocal agreement with Kentucky Bond Development Corporation on July 25 to facilitate tax-exempt bond financing for the project, with a bond issuance capped at $250 million, LinkNKY reported.
What's next
No specific reopening date has been set for the Buttermilk Pike sidewalk. Weather and utility-related issues could keep it closed for at least another month, according to WKRC's reporting.
