Nearly $1B in construction projects scheduled for region’s roadways, bridges

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Ohio road construction season is in full stride and includes $1.92 billion in projects to repair and build new bridges and roadways this year, including many in this region, the state announced Tuesday.

That includes $885 million being allocated to 169 projects in a 15-county area in Southwest Ohio.

“Thanks to the foresight of Gov. DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly and internal operational savings identified by our workforce, we have been able to weather this global pandemic,” Ohio Department of Transportation director Jack Marchbanks said. “Without those extra funds, we would be nearly a billion dollars in the red. While other states have been delaying or canceling projects, Ohio continues moving forward.”

In Montgomery County, 26 road and bridge projects are slated to take place this year, including several on major highways that will cause some inconvenience for motorists.

Included is work on the ramp from I-70 eastbound to I-75 northbound. The $782,400 project is underway and the ramp is temporarily closed.

As part of the construction, which is slated to end around June, a more than eight-foot-tall safety barrier will be built around the outside curb of that ramp to prevent rollover crashes, according to representatives of ODOT.

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The higher wall design has a portion that sits below the pavement to help keep it stable if it is hit by larger vehicles, this news organization previously reported.

The interchange is relatively busy. The I-70/I-75 Interchange saw on average 185,000 vehicles per day in 2019 and 155,000 vehicles per day in 2020.

An over $5 million asphalt resurfacing project on US-35 between Germantown Street and Linden Avenue is slated to end in September. That project started late in 2020. Another $5 million project that aims to replace ramp bridges from US-35 to southbound I-75 is slated to end in the beginning of 2022. Construction started in 2019.

Construction is also slated for this year to widen portions of the US-35/Smithville interchange to the US-35/1-675 interchange. It will become three lanes. Safety improvements as well as significant pavement will take place on US-35 as part of the $14,170,000 project. It is slated to end next year.

The bridge over Edward C. Moses interchange on I-75 in Dayton will also be reconstructed this year. The overall project is $18.4 million and will impact areas between Stewart Street and State Route 741.

ODOT will be working on several Greene County projects this spring, summer and fall, too.

ODOT will be doing pavement repair and resurfacing on I-675, from the Montgomery County line to near North Fairfield Road. This project also includes bridge overlays and joint repairs on the mainline and overhead bridges. This project started in the spring of 2020 and is scheduled to be finished next summer. It will cost about $26.1 million.

ODOT is getting ready to open up a contraflow lane on I-675 this week, said ODOT District 8 spokeswoman Kathleen Fuller. One lane of northbound I-675 will be moved to the southbound side between Dayton-Xenia and Shakertown Road, she said.

ODOT is also continuing work on the superstreet in Greene County. This construction is on U.S. 35 between Orchard Lane and Factory Road in Beavercreek. In addition to road and bridge improvements, the project will include building signalized intersections at both locations to allow for legal U-turn movements. The project is scheduled for completion in 2022. The estimated cost is nearly $15 million.

A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction on U.S. 35 during this construction. Arterial roadways will be subject to lane restrictions and temporary closures.

ODOT is also installing lighting at the interchange of U.S. 35 and State Route 835 in Greene County. This project, along with lighting at interchanges in Warren and Hamilton counties, is scheduled to be completed this spring and cost $2.39 million.

A bridge rehabilitation and replacement project over Mud Run and Mad River, just east of the Montgomery County line, is scheduled to start this spring. It will cost about $3.38 million and be completed in the summer of 2022. A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained with the use of temporary signals during this project.

Crews are working to install a restricted crossing U-Turn (RCUT) at the intersection of U.S. 42 and C.R. 75 (Spring Valley-Paintersville Road). A minimum of one lane of traffic will be maintained in either direction on U.S. 42. This project will cost about $1.8 million.

“Be aware of work crews and reduced speed limits, for motorists’ safety and our crews’ safety, too,” Fuller said.

Nine projects are slated for Miami County including bridge replacement between Snyder Road overpass and the Miami-Shelby County line.

Traffic will be maintained utilizing crossovers and some lanes may be closed at night. The $5.4 million project is slated to start this summer and will be finished at the end of 2022.

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

A road reconstruction project will take place within city limits of Tipp City on the east end. It will be on State Route 571 going from 1st Street to East of the Great Miami River Bikeway.

It will include new water, sewer and storm lines as well as aesthetic and lighting enhancements. The project is slated to cost $1.4 million and started last year. It will be finished by 2021.

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