The $32 million dollar state Route 32 and Interstate 275 interchange project is almost done, but many commuters have expressed concerns about continued traffic congestion in the area, such as traffic getting off of Interstate 275, as shown in this photo from September.

The $32 million dollar state Route 32 and Interstate 275 interchange project is almost done, but many commuters have expressed concerns about continued traffic congestion in the area, such as traffic getting off of Interstate 275, as shown in this photo from September.
By Megan Alley
Sun staff

Construction is almost done on the state Route 32 and Interstate 275 interchange project, but many local commuters have expressed concerns about continued traffic congestion in the area.

The $32 million dollar project was meant to more safely and efficiently move people through the Eastgate area.

“We are all done with physical work. Everything is open and paved,” said Jason Haus, Clermont County resident engineer for the Ohio Department of Transportation in the monthly Clermont County Transportation Improvement District meeting on Nov.14. “We have a little bit of cleanup, but basically we’re all wrapped up.”

He added, “We’ve been fielding a lot of concerns with the traffic and everything to the east. A lot of the complaints coming in are that [the interchange project] didn’t really fix anything.”

Betty Hull, communications counselor for the CCTID, confirmed receiving the concerns.

“Last week, TID asked for feedback on the project,” Hull said. “Over the weekend, we got a ton of feedback, which is great from a social media perspective.”

Hull said commenters had constructive concerns about the pattern of traffic and where the paving stopped.

“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback about Glen Este-Withamsville Road, and people are saying that we have pushed everything east,” Hull said. “People also expressed concerns about the traffic signal timing and the southbound exit.”

Hull said Haus has been incredibly responsive in replying to comments.

Haus said he feels it’s critical to get the next segment of the Eastern Corridor project, known as segment 4a, going because it will improve traffic flow through the area.

Segment 4a is the construction project slated to improve traffic congestion from Eastgate to Batavia. The project consists of nine components: old state Route 74 improvements from Schoolhouse Road to Glen Este-Withamsville Road, realigning the old state Route 74 and Tealtown Road intersection and extending Paul Drive, creating a new interchange at Bach-Buxton Road and state Route 32, a Glen Este-Withamsville Road partial interchange, a Clepper Lane extension to Bach-Buxton Road, a new old state Route 74 overpass, additional state Route 32 travel lanes in each direction, widening old state Route 74, and intersection signal improvements at state Route 32 and Olive Branch-Stonelick Road.

According to Hull, construction of segment 4a is funding dependent. She said some of the components are being led by CCTID and some are being led by ODOT.

She said there are three phases to the Eastgate interchange project, there are multiple phases to the Eastgate to Batavia project, and some have had more funding than others.

“ODOT and the CCTID are currently exploring funding options for related project components. To date, the CCTID has received funds from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments to construct the Clepper Lane extension and improvements on old state Route 74 from Schoolhouse Road to Glen Este-Withamsville Road,” Hull said in an email. “This work will improve access in the area as well as to and from SR 32. Construction of these project elements will begin in the summer of 2018.”