On Tuesday, ODOT District 7 held a construction kickoff event at the intersection of Needmore Road and Brandt Pike, which ODOT and Gov. Mike DeWine identified as one of the 150 most dangerous intersections in the state.
Construction should begin this month to upgrade the intersection with new traffic signals, curb ramps and sidewalks for pedestrians.
The project is expected to cost about $770,000.
“Improving the safety here is important, especially as we go into an uncertain future transportation wise,” Dayton City Commissioner Matt Joseph said. “We’re going to make it safer for cars, we’re going to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.”
The state’s most dangerous intersections list includes eight in District 7, and the state this year plans to make safety improvements at half of them at a total cost of about $5.4 million.
District 7 covers Montgomery, Miami, Champaign, Clark, Auglaize, Darke, Logan, Mercer and Shelby counties.
ODOT plans about $900,000 in upgrades to the intersection of Old Troy Pike and Needmore Road in Riverside that include new traffic signals, curb ramps and sidewalks.
New roundabouts will be constructed at U.S. 36 and Ohio 121 in Darke County (roughly $1.8 million cost) and at state routes 48 and 235 in Logan County ($2 million). Currently, the intersections are four-way stops.
Other dangerous intersections in the district already have undergone recent safety enhancements, like those at Far Hills Avenue and Whipp Road, Ohio 725 and Township Road 3593, and Ohio 725 and Yankee Pike.
District 7 will have 86 construction projects this year along state-maintained roadways, which counts ongoing projects.
ODOT expects to spend nearly $27 million to reconstruct Interstate 75 between Ohio 4 and Needmore Road in Dayton and Montgomery County.
The department also plans to invest nearly $21 million to resurface and replace a different section of I-75, between Ohio 741 and Dixie Drive.
Both projects are expected to begin in late summer and will take nearly three years to complete.
Other new notable projects in Montgomery County include:
- $4.4 million to reconstruct Salem Avenue between Riverview and North avenues, which will include new street pavement, curbs, sidewalks, street lights and a two-way bike lane.
- $3.5 million to reconstruct West Springfield Street in Riverside to create a center turn lane, bicycle facilities and new curb, gutter, sidewalk and lighting.
- $3.1 million to rehab the Philadelphia Drive bridge over the Stillwater River in Butler Twp.
- $1.7 million for six traffic signal upgrades, lighting and pedestrian improvements in Kettering.
- $1.4 million to resurface Dixie Drive and add curb ramps north of Needmore Road to Ome Avenue.
- $1.4 million to rehab pavement on Dryden Road near Kreitzer Road and the Great Miami River.
- $1.3 million to paint a steel bridge structure on U.S. 35 over Ludlow Street in Dayton.
- $1.1 million to resurface Ohio 48 between Ohio 725 and Sheehan Road in Centerville.
One of ODOT’s major construction projects in Miami County will make safety improvements to Ohio 41 in Troy by widening the road, replacing traffic signals and reconstructing sidewalks and curb lawns ($7.3 million cost).
Other projects include High Street roadway improvements in the village of Covington ($3.8 million); I-75 resurfacing near the County Road 25A interchange in Piqua ($3.2 million); and the replacement of the Great Miami River Trail Bridge ($1.8 million).
These local infrastructure projects will ensure that the state has a safe and reliable roadway network, said Chevalley.
Though traffic volumes remain down compared to pre-pandemic times, truck traffic is up more than 13% from 2019, Chevalley said.
“As we know, these trucks need a strong and reliable and well-maintained system to get our goods and services where they need to be,” he said.
In a statement, Ohio Gov. DeWine said, “Ohio is a state that makes and moves things,” adding that ODOT’s roadway investments make the Buckeye State an attractive place to do business.
Speakers at Tuesday’s kickoff also stressed how important it is for Ohio’s motorists to watch their speed and avoid distractions when orange barrels are out in construction zones.
Distracted driving and speeding endangers ODOT and construction crews, and can cost workers’ and motorists lives, Dayton Police Sgt. Gordon Cairns said.
Nearly 4,800 crashes took place in Ohio’s work zones in 2021, and more than one-third occurred with workers present, according to ODOT.
ODOT workers, vehicles and equipment were struck 154 times last year, and 70 crews have been hit so far this year.
New ODOT projects in Montgomery, Miami counties:
- Interstate 75 rehabilitation between Ohio 4 and Needmore Road. Cost: $26.9 million. Begin: August 2022. End: July 2025.
- Interstate 75 rehab between Ohio 741 and Dixie Drive. Cost: $20.7 million. Begin: August 2022. End: July 2025.
- Ohio 41 improvements like roadway widening, sidewalk and curb lawn reconstruction and new traffic signals between Colony Park Drive and North Market Street in Troy. Cost: $7.3 million. Begin: May 2022. End: May 2023.
- Salem Avenue reconstruction between Riverview and North avenues. Cost: $4.4 million. Begin: June 2022. End: October 2023.
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