Tuesday, June 15, 1999
Highway no toll on Butler drivers
Months ahead of schedule and free, too
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
FAIRFIELD — The new Butler Regional Highway truly will be a freeway.
The Butler County Transportation Improvement District (TID) on Monday approved a deal with the Ohio Department of Transportation that will eliminate the need for tolls on the 11-mile highway, which is scheduled to open later this year.
The state has agreed to take over maintenance of the freeway and fund the widening of Ohio 747 from Port Union Road to Smith Road. The state also will work with the TID to widen Ohio 747 from Smith Road to the regional highway.
Proposed toll revenue from the Butler Regional was earmarked for the highway's maintenance and the first part of the Ohio 747 project, said TID Executive Director Greg Wilkens.
The $93 million highway runs from Interstate 75 in Liberty Township west to Hamilton. The highway, paid for by the state, is about 70 percent complete and eight months ahead of schedule. Parts of the highway could be opened by August or September, and the entire road could be open by January. The Interstate 75 connection with the regional highway is less than a mile north of Tylersville Road.
TID trustees reluctantly agreed to implement tolls on the highway this past August, which would have made it only the second toll road in the state. Preliminary discussions outlined a 75-cent toll, with trucks paying more.
The negotiations that led to Monday's action took about two weeks, Mr. Wilkens said.
“This agreement presented a win-win situation for all involved,” said Mike Samoviski, TID board of trustees chair. “The citizens of Butler County get a toll-free Butler Regional Highway...and the widening of SR 747 with the cooperation of ODOT. At the same time, ODOT gets a better return on their investment with increased usage of the highway.”
Though there was minimal public outcry over the tolls, officials were concerned that the highway would get only half of the traffic it was designed for because of the tolls.
Under the ODOT agreement, the state will maintain the entire highway including snow removal, landscaping and all repairs.
“By avoiding the necessity of tolls, we will maximize the use of the new freeway and better serve the overall highway network,” ODOT Director Gordon Proctor said. “Representa tives from the Butler County TID deserve a great deal of credit for their diligent work in getting the roadway built and their thorough evaluation of the toll issue.”
The elimination of tolls also could increase economic development in the county. “Without the tolls, I think we'll see a greater prosperity,” Mr. Wilkens said.
Local officials, residents and TID board trustees were jubilant once the agreement was approved.
“It's a great day for Butler Coun ty,” said state Rep. Gregory V. Jolivette, R-Hamilton. “I think this would bring (highway) utilization up to full capacity.”
In Liberty Township, where opposition to the highway itself was strong, the elimination of tolls was welcome.
“They never even should have considered them to begin with,” Liberty Township Trustee Bob Shelley said.
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