Austin traffic problems studied

$22 million road network has led to traffic  tieups and gridlock.

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By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer 11:36 AM Thursday, December 15, 2011

MIAMI TWP. — State transportation officials have hired an engineer to figure out what’s wrong with the roads around the new Austin Boulevard interchange.

ME Companies, a Columbus-based firm, is conducting traffic studies as part of an overall analysis of flow around the interchange, including the “continuous flow intersection” at Austin and Ohio 741.

ME was hired after it became clear projections used in designing the $22 million road network underestimated the traffic once the interchange opened, officials said.

“The development is moving ahead very rapidly on both sides of the highway,” said Steve Stanley, executive director of the Montgomery County Transportation Improvement District. “We’re having greater success than those traffic models predicted.”

The Ohio Department of Transportation will pay ME about $20,000 for the traffic study, according Mandi Abner, public information officer for ODOT, District 7.

The district, ODOT and the Montgomery County Engineer’s Office have been working on traffic problems since the interchange opened last year.

Still, new jams continue to develop, sometimes after access points are added, officials said.

“As soon as another access point opens up, it may affect what we changed,” said District Engineer Randy Chevalley.

In addition, engineers are studying the causes for delays for drivers approaching the Austin-Ohio 741 intersection, introduced as a new alternative to traditional intersections in Ohio.

During peak traffic periods, motorists back up at and around the intersection, at times causing delays, even gridlock.

“We’re looking at the progression of traffic through these signals. We try to minimize the delay through the system,” County Engineer Paul Gruner said.

The district also has hired engineers to study the effect of new signals on the traffic flow. Two lights have been added for access to the Austin Landing development.

Earlier this month, Springboro officials said they were meeting this month with ODOT about adding a traffic light at West Tech Boulevard, just south of the intersection at Austin-Ohio 741, specially designed to help traffic to continue through the intersection.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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