Year-long road project finished at busy shopping area

Costco, new restaurants drive more traffic.

A nearly year-long construction project near the Wilmington Pike and Feedwire Road intersection was completed Wednesday, after multiple weather delays.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Bellbrook resident Devon Howe. “It’s been really difficult because you never know what lane’s going to be closed, when it’s going to be closed.”

City officials estimate around $3 million has been spent on the widening of both Feedwire and Wilmington Pike since construction on the Costco at the Cornerstone of Centerville began last year.

The initial phase of widening Feedwire was delayed in the fall because of cold weather but was completed with final paving and striping several weeks ago.
The final step of the project — delayed twice recently by heavy rainfall — involved final paving for nothbound Wilmington Pike starting near the Home Depot entrance extending northward to Dille Drive.

“In the beginning, it was a lot worse,” said Holland Ramsey, a stylist at Big League Haircuts.”When Feedwire Road was under construction, it kind of killed business over here a little bit.”

Howe said she was among those who avoided the area because of traffic and construction.

City officials expected the completion of the roadwork to ease traffic flow as new tenants — including Cabela’s and Kroger — and new restaurants such as Chick-Fil-A, Cheddar’s Casual Cafe, Panda Express and Bagger Dave’s Burger Tavern, move into the 154 acres that make up the development near Interstate 675.

Phase II of the project, widening of Wilmington from Interstate 675 to Brown Road is expected to begin in the fall. It will add space in both turn lanes to the entrance ramps of the highway, and an additional southbound lane will be constructed.

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