BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT MITCHELL -- Residents who live near Interstate 75's only S-curve hope to enlist Fort Mitchell City Council's support in lobbying for a permanent truck ban once the treacherous stretch is straightened.
The new, more straight path of Interstate 71/75 at the Dixie Highway exit.
(Glenn Hartong photo)
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A temporary truck ban on Interstate 71 - 75 and 471, in effect until sometime in 2000, began April 1.
The ban was ordered as a safety measure because of three construction projects: the Brent Spence Bridge redecking, the Fort Washington Way project in Cincinnati, and the Fort Mitchell work on the S-curve. Now some Fort Mitchell residents hope to make the ban a permanent one for the site of numerous truck accidents in recent years.
At tonight's 7:30 council meeting, they plan to seek council's support for a permanent truck ban on northbound and southbound I-71 - 75 from Covington to Crescent Springs.
"I would like to see all the communities affected by I-75 start working on a permanent truck ban," said Dr. Faye Allen of Fort Mitchell, who is leading the effort. "We're little communities trying to deal with these catastrophes."
She has distributed fliers on some of the Fort Mitchell streets closest to the expressway.
At tonight's council meeting, she said, she plans to voice her concerns about "noise pollution, air pollution and the many, many accidents and deaths that have occurred on I-75" because of the truck traffic.
Fort Mitchell City Administrator Bill Goetz said he sympathizes with residents, but said he thinks their chances of getting a permanent ban are remote.
"(The city's) already on record with the Transportation Cabinet that the situation still needs to be looked at after the S-curve construction is completed," Mr. Goetz said. "But we have to be realistic here. We're not dealing with the state government. We're dealing with the federal government."
To secure a permanent truck ban, Mr. Goetz said, Northern Kentucky communities would have to prove through accident reports that that stretch of I-75 has more accidents than other areas and that certain conditions are unsafe.
Residents who live north of the expressway are unfazed.
"The only way I can see this become a community that's safe and livable is to do like Atlanta and get a permanent truck ban," Dr. Allen said.
Since 1983, tractor trailers have been banned within Atlanta's Interstate 285 perimeter, except for pickups and deliveries, said Anita Mashburn, of the Georgia Department of Transportation. Violators can be fined up to several hundred dollars, depending on the county in which they're stopped.
Atlanta's ban is similar to Kentucky's temporary ban in that commercial trucks using I-71 - 75 or I-471 must show proof that they have local business stops.
The ban applies to trucks not making local deliveries, and recreational vehicles, which are required to use the I-275 loop. Near the S-curve construction, residents and business owners are coping with road work with a mix of humor, patience and exasperation.
On West Maple Avenue, residents of Fort Mitchell Pointe, which boasts year-old homes for $425,000 and up, are worried about pollution and noise from the nearby highway, caused by the removal of mature trees from a berm in front of their homes.
"The construction and all, that was no surprise. But the trees coming out, that was not what we were told," said Therese Anne Matthews, a mother of six.
Since the S-curve construction began, the Kroger store in Fort Mitchell has passed out maps showing an alternate route and pledging to offer a variety of products, weekly specials and good service to keep customers coming back.
At the Holiday Inn in Fort Mitchell, which underwent a $4.5 million renovation last year, general manager Robert Willard acknowledged the road work is "a little inconvenient," but he said his business is down no more than the industry average this year.
Mr. Willard said police recently stopped traffic to allow tour buses to enter his lot when a utility line was being moved for the road construction. Police also have helped direct traffic when large groups have arrived.
"We'll make do for another year and a half," Mr. Willard said. "I think after it's done, it'll be great."
At Indigo's restaurant on Dixie Highway, bordered for weeks by orange barrels, yellow caution tape and mounds of dirt, a sign in front blasts: "We're open," and a recent newspaper ad urged patrons to "Come watch your $22 million at work!"
While the dirt and the noise have affected the restaurant's patio business, manager Diana Stringer said she thinks local residents are getting used to the construction.
"I think some people were avoiding coming to this area when it was down to one lane (in front), but now it's back to two," Ms. Stringer said. "Our ad is giving them something to laugh about."
