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It's construction season in Southwest Ohio. Here's what to look out for

An orange barrel sits alongside SR 32 in Clermont County.
Bill Rinehart
/
WVXU
An orange barrel sits alongside SR 32 in Clermont County.

Thursday saw the start of Major League Baseball, the Masters, and the Ohio Department of Transportation's construction season. District 8 Deputy Director Tammy Campbell says two areas will get the most attention.

State Route 32 at Bach Buxton in Clermont County is getting a new diamond interchange. That's part of the Eastern Corridor project.

Campbell says the widening of I-75 between I-275 and the Ohio River is an ongoing effort. "We're now in the northern part, from Glendale, Milford, north towards 275, adding that lane in both directions. And we're finishing work around the 75-74 interchange area," she says.

There are 80 projects in the seven county area that includes Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Greene, Hamilton, Preble and Warren counties. The total budget is about $400 million.

Campbell says one project is a smart lane corridor along I-275. The shoulder area between Loveland-Madeira Road and I-71 will be turned into a traffic lane during peak times. There will be a lower speed limit though.

"We have a smart lane on I-670 in Columbus, that's been working for the past year or two, and it's been going very well," Campbell says. "Yes, we work with law enforcement for increased presence, but most of the time, with the additional lane, it gives more people room and so then everybody continues to flow at the same speed."

Statewide, ODOT is expected to spend about $2 billion on 829 projects this year.

Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.