Construction on the Aicholtz Road connector project, which will reduce congestion on state Route 32 by giving drivers another route from the Eastgate area to Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road, will begin in a couple of weeks, according to officials.

Construction on the Aicholtz Road connector project, which will reduce congestion on state Route 32 by giving drivers another route from the Eastgate area to Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road, will begin in a couple of weeks, according to officials.
By Megan Alley
Sun staff

Construction on the Aicholtz Road connector project will begin in a couple of weeks.

The project, with an estimated construction cost of $6.5 million, will reduce congestion on state Route 32 by providing another route for drivers to travel from the Eastgate area to Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road, according to officials.

Aicholtz Road was disconnected in the early 1970s when Interstate 275 was built, said Craig Stephenson, Clermont County chief deputy county engineer, earlier this year.

The road, which currently “zigs and zags” on the west side, will be straightened and widened from two lanes to three, according to Pat Manger, Clermont County engineer.

A sidewalk that will reach Ivy Pointe will be added to the south side of the road, according to Stephenson.

About 30 homes are located along the Aicholtz Road corridor, Manger estimated.

The east side of the project, also referred to as “phase one,” will be constructed first. This area is comprised of Aicholtz Road from Eastgate to the new Interstate 275 underpass.

“What we’re trying to do is get the east side done first, so that way, when they start working on the west side, the people kind of have a way out the back door, so to speak,” Manger explained.

Construction on phase one is expected to wrap this fall; the segment of the road will be open throughout the construction of phase two, which is expected to start next spring.

“They want to get the east end rehabbed and widened, so that when they start in and try to realign the west end, it will allow people to escape, and go to and from the east, so they aren’t forced to go through the construction traffic,” Manger said. “Now, there are probably some people that live on the west side that are still going to head out towards Mt. Carmel Tobasco.”

He added, “The idea is to create a link back to the east to give people options, so if you live on the west side, you’re still going to go towards Mt. Carmel Tobasco, but if you live towards the east, now you can go under the bridge and get on out that way.”

Final construction of both phases is expected to be completed by fall 2017.