The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Miamisburg-Springboro Pike to stay closed to speed Austin interchange work

Cities under snow emergencies; temps dropping quickly
7:54 p.m.
SunCoke receives permit from Ohio EPA
6:37 p.m.
Judge cuts off embattled SCLC treasurer
5:58 p.m.
Crash holds up funeral procession
5:55 p.m.
Mother’s defense says boyfriend abused her daughter in secret
5:52 p.m.
> More headlines

By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer Updated 3:23 PM Friday, November 27, 2009

MIAMISBURG — The good news: The Austin Boulevard interchange, expected to trigger economic development on more than 400 acres along the Warren-Montgomery county boundary, is expected to open a month or two sooner than previously expected.

The bad news: Miamisburg-Springboro Pike, previously scheduled to reopen in December, will remain closed until next summer, so contractors can expedite work on the new interchange and the adjacent network of roads.

“It’s going to be a big asset once that entire road and interchange is open. I guess we can endure those disappointments for awhile,” Miamisburg Mayor Dick Church said Friday, Nov. 27.

The Ohio Department of Transportation announced the change of plans last week.

Church said local officials were powerless because of the professional opinion of state transportation officials that the closing was needed to speed completion of the overall project.

“We were looking forward to being open,” he said. “If this is going to speed it up, I’m all for it.”

East of the interchange, Austin Pike re-opened Oct. 6 and will remain open, officials said.

West of the interchange, Miamisburg-Springboro Pike will remain closed until summer of 2010.

Weather permitting, state officials say the interchange — previously expected to open next fall — will open “one to two months earlier than anticipated.”

While Miamisburg-Springboro Pike is closed, the official detour is Wood Road, Pennyroyal Road, Benner Road and Ohio 741.

Before the closing, Betty Bray of Springboro used Miamisburg-Springboro Pike to get to her parents’ home in Miami Twp.

“It’s very inconvenient not to get to use it,” she said. Friday.

Bray acknowledged she takes a pessimistic view of whether the route to her parents’ home will be improved, once construction is completed.

“I figure I’m going to be inconvenienced most of the time anyway,” she said.

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

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

The detour route is insane the condition of the overpass u have us going across is insane and now to indure this through the winter with it being icy out is crazy that is an overpass that needs attention, its cool that instead of the 15 - 20 min it used to take to get to work now takes say 20 - 30 it kinda kills gas wise i think its insane to keep this closed even longer but on the bright side cant wait to move out oh yea once the overpass opens up. But cant wait to get of the springboro area.

Chad
2:31 AM, 12/10/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Sure wish you all were just as concerned about our taxes getting ready to increase in the Miamisburg school district as you are with the inconvenience of the overpass not being completed by Dec. Feb 2, 2010 time to get out and vote NO on Operating levies that will be on the ballot.

Kelly
4:36 PM, 12/7/2009

REPORT ABUSE

I agree with Fred, we were initially told the bridge would be completed Dec. 2009 and like every other construction project, residents are told one thing then after approval, the project takes a great deal longer. The time to complete this project was known from the start and should have been disclosed. It is not only a huge inconvenience it adds 15 minutes to any commute to the same location one way. The residents west of 75 dont care about the businesses being built they just want access!

Christopher
6:30 PM, 12/3/2009

REPORT ABUSE

I get that people are angry that they have an inconvience (I live in the Villages of Miami and long for the day I can use that interchange rather than deal with mall traffic along 741 where I've been rear-ended multiple times), but should this be any suprise? The tax dollars of the new companies and medical facility that will be housed in this new area are what will pay for the development of the area. Whatever gets those tax dollars flowing fastest is what gets approved.

SomeReason
3:49 PM, 12/1/2009

REPORT ABUSE

I'd like to find out which state transportation officials decided this, so we can make the effort to remove them from office. The overall project may be completed sooner, but now we will be driving down these side roads another six months longer than scheduled. There are a lot of residents who just want the bridge and the entrance to I-75 to be completed, and who really were not concerned as much about the Austin Pike Interchange. I guess now, they'll have to be.

Fred
7:14 PM, 11/30/2009

REPORT ABUSE

There are 9 additional comments

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.