The Eastern Corridor Project, alive and well in Clermont County

Depending on where you live, the Eastern Corridor Project is either a loathed and much-maligned project or a pedal-to-the-metal effort opening up corridors to commerce and easing an ever-increasing traffic load.

In Clermont County, the latter is true.

Anyone who travels Ohio 32 between Interstate-275 and Batavia is all too familiar with thick and chewy traffic, especially during rush hours. Data from the Ohio Department of Transportation predicts the traffic load on Ohio 32 in Clermont will continue to grow.

Current traffic estimates show that by the year 2030 I-275 will carry 84,000 vehicles per day, and Ohio 32 will carry an estimated 79,000. While the traffic loads are similar, the looks of I-275 and Ohio 32 are vastly different.

Initially, Ohio 32  was designed to meet the needs of a rural area, according to Chief Deputy Engineer for Clermont County Craig Stephenson. Clermont County is transitioning to a suburban area which requires a different type of travel system.

Instead of a series of traffic lights and intersections, Ohio 32 requires overpasses and exit/entrance ramps.

Imagine a traffic light instead of the existing bridge and exit/entrance ramps along I-275 at the Loveland-Madeira Road exit, Clermont County Engineer Pat Manger offered as an example. Seems ludicrous yet that's what's in place on Ohio 32, he said.

Changes coming to Ohio 32 corridor

Currently, motorists encounter three traffic lights on Ohio 32 traveling east from I-275 toward Batavia. All three will be eliminated in segment 4A of the Eastern Corridor Project. Drivers will not reencounter a traffic light until the intersection of Ohio 32 and Bauer Road, about seven miles east of I-275.

Along with the removal of traffic lights, other changes include an additional travel lane on Ohio 32 from Glen Este-Withamsville to Olive Branch-Stonelick Road, the elimination of local road access to Ohio 32 between Eastgate Boulevard and Olive Branch-Stonelick Road, and the construction of overpass bridges and an interchange.

"Overall theme that we've tried to do with this Ohio 32 corridor is to develop a network of roads that can handle regional traffic, people who are on I-275 and want to go east to Batavia and parts beyond, as well as the network of roads to handle the local trips," Manger said.

To provide ease of travel for residents, Manger said, plans call for the extension of Clepper Lane to Bach-Buxton Road and the widening of portions of Old 74.

The intersection of Glen-Este Withamsville at Ohio 32 will be eliminated. An overpass bridge is planned to allow traffic traveling on Glen-Este Withamsville to cross over Ohio 32. On the eastbound side, an exit ramp will provide access to Clepper Lane. On the westbound side, an exit ramp will provide access to Glen Este-Withamsville.

The intersection of Bach-Buxton/Elick Lane will be eliminated and a new interchange constructed with an overpass bridge over 32 and on and off ramps for motorists. Elick Lane will become a cul de sac. 

East of there the intersection of Old 74 and Ohio 32 will be eliminated and an overpass bridge installed to allow motorists to continue on Old 74 over Ohio 32.

This vision, however, is nearly a decade away. Engineering work is about 75 percent complete for the project and construction is expected to begin in 2019.

The cost

Earlier this year construction on Segment 4 of the Eastern Corridor Project wrapped up in Clermont County. This phase included the I-275 and Ohio 32 interchange improvements, construction of the Eastgate North Frontage Road, reconstruction of Eastgate Boulevard over 32, and the extension of Aicholtz Road.

Costs for Segment 4 and 4A are shared by the state, Clermont County, OKI, and the Transportation Improvement District. Segment 4 cost more than $162 million. Segment 4A is projected to cost more than $91 million.

The road projects are designed to improve the traffic flow and access to the more rural, eastern portions of Clermont County where at least one development - the 242-acre South Afton Industrial Park - is business ready, Manger said.

Eastern Corridor Project

The Eastern Corridor Project is a four-segment multimodal project addressing getting vehicles, pedestrians and other modes of transportation from point A to B, Manger said. Each of the four segments independently provides value.

Because of the independence, segments 1 and 4 advanced while segments 2 and 3 hit a speed bump. These project segments called for the realignment of Ohio 32 through the villages of Newtown and Mariemont and met with criticism from residents, business owners, and environmentalists. While not dead, segments two and three of the Eastern Corridor project are being redesigned by ODOT.

More detailed plans for the Eastern Corridor Project are available online at easterncorridor.org.