Thursday, July 08, 1999
Reagan Hwy. work ready to roll
Safety upgrades among key features
BY DAN KLEPAL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The oldest stretch of Ronald Reagan Highway was built when the two-term Republican president was still a B-movie actor.
Now, nearly 40 years after that initial asphalt was laid, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is ready to begin resurfacing a 4.5-mile stretch of the thoroughfare, making major safety improvements along the way.
Construction on the $16 million project — which incorporates the stretch from east of Galbraith Road to just west of Interstate 71 — is set to begin in August.
The work should be completed by fall 2000, said Ted Hubbard, chief deputy engineer for Hamilton County, which performed the engineering work.
“It's a pretty old freeway. Some parts of it were built in 1959,” Mr. Hubbard said. “So we got a good life out of it, but it just fell apart after last winter.”
About 50,000 vehicles use the road daily, Mr. Hubbard said. One lane will remain open in each direction during the work.
Safety improvements to accompany the resurfacing will lengthen access ramps leading onto the highway from other roads. Also, 8-inch berms on the roadside will replace curbs, a concrete barrier will be placed in the median and two bridges will be widened.
The project is being paid for with $14.8 million from the federal government and $1.2 million from ODOT.
“We've been using Band-Aids to keep (the road) togeth er, and the Band-Aids just won't work anymore,” Mr. Hubbard said. “Now we'll have a much better highway.”
Hamilton County Administrator David Krings said the safety improvements mean the most to him.
“It's already a convenient highway. Now it will be a safer highway, too,” Mr. Krings said.
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