Tuesday, March 28, 2000
I-71 construction will resume
Expect some delays; fewer lanes at night
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — The orange barrels are again to make their spring debut in Warren County.
The Ohio Department of Transportation and the John R. Jurgensen Co. will resume work Monday on one of the area's biggest highway construction projects.
Crews will widen and repave seven miles of Interstate 71 from Western Row Road in Warren County to just south of I-275 in Hamilton County. The $33 million project is slated for completion by the end of the year.
While motorists can expect some delays, ODOT officials are asking drivers to keep the slowdowns in perspective.
“We're in the home stretch,” said Mike Flynn, deputy director of ODOT's District 8. “Good weather last year enabled crews to work into December, putting the project ahead of schedule and allowing us to open lanes of traffic much earlier than anticipated. The extra lanes were slated to remain closed through July 2000.”
ODOT spokeswoman Kim Patton said three lanes each way will remain open during the day and crews will try to limit the majority of construction to night hours. She noted traffic will be reduced to two lanes for short periods between May 1 and July 4.
“Construction will not affect traffic at all like it did last year,” said Ms. Patton. “Drivers may be inconvenienced a bit from May through July. But after Independence Day, it should be pretty much smooth sailing from then until the end of project.”
ODOT officials said the highway might be limited to one lane from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on northbound I-71 and midnight to 6 a.m. on the southbound side.
The ramps at Fields Ertel and Mason-Montgomery roads are being widened to two lanes. Also, Cornell Road will be closed from June through July for overpass repair. Traffic will be detoured onto Deerfield, Kenwood and Snider roads.
From 1986 to 1994, the number of automobiles in the area has increased by 50 percent to 77,130 vehicles a day, according to ODOT.
“With the continued growth ... in the area, in addition to the many tourists visiting Paramount's Kings Island during the summer months, the highway couldn't adequately handle the increase in traffic,” said Mr. Flynn.
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