COVINGTON, Ky. - Traffic at the foot of Madison Avenue will be cut to one lane in the morning as crews from the Covington Public Works Department prepare to install the gate in the floodwall holding back the rising Ohio River.

 

Public Works Director Rick Davis said a large crane will arrive in late morning to help crews begin the 10-hour process of installing the gate at the Madison Overlook. Cars will still be able to get in and out of the garage at the base of the Embassy Suites by Hilton at RiverCenter, he said, but “it’ll be tricky.”

 

The Ohio River was at 51 feet as of Sunday night, just one foot below official flood stage for the Cincinnati pool.

 

At last projection, the river is expected to crest at 56.5 feet overnight Tuesday, just above the point that triggers the gate’s installation, he said. But the river had risen over 20 feet in less than a week and - buoyed by the weekend’s rain - continued all weekend to exceed projections by a large margin.

 

“The projection jumped 8 feet in day,” Davis said.

 

More information about the City’s preparations will be released Monday, said Davis, who was at the Public Works garage Sunday night drawing up plans.

 

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The parking lot in front of Riverside Drive, where the Mike Fink restaurant used to be moored, was totally under water Sunday night.