QUESTION: In May, Socialville Foster Road in Deerfield Township was damaged by rain. The road has been closed since. The road is used by many motorists to get to Interstate 71. Closing this road has added at least a half-hour to commuters' time. When will it reopen? - Bev Lilley, Maineville

        ANSWER: If it was just damage from the May storms, this road would be open by now, said Assistant Warren County Engineer Kurt Weber. The 200-foot section on a steep grade west of Ohio 3 and U.S. 22 that slipped in May was repaired
with a new retaining wall supported by pilings drilled into rock. As that work was nearing completion, another large section of the road slipped during rains in July, and then another section caved in during August storms, Mr. Weber said.

        The root problem is a rock wall that was laid in the early 1900s to support the road. It is eroding. Full replacement of the wall would cost an estimated $3 million, out of an annual county road budget of $5.5 million, he said.

        An examination of the erosion by the county engineer, along with consultants, recently resulted in a recommendation to shore up the existing rock wall with a new retaining wall rather than replace the entire road and wall. That work is being done, but is time-consuming. Socialville Foster Road is expected to reopen in the spring.

        Q: The lights on tall poles at Interstate 275 and Interstate 71 have not worked for several weeks. When will they be fixed? Also, there are lighting issues at U.S. 42 and I-275 in Sharonville. Finally, it would be nice if more lights were installed on Interstate 71 between Montgomery and Fields Ertel roads for better safety. - Donald P. Richards, West Chester

        A: Kim Patton, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation, said crews are working on the lights at I-71 and I-275 and they should be repaired by the end of November. The U.S. 42 and I-275 interchange is included in an I-275 improvement project from U.S. 42 east to I-71 and interchange lighting improvements are included. Mrs. Patton said there is no indication of a problem with nighttime accidents on I-71 between Montgomery and Fields Ertel roads.

        You Asked For It, which runs on Mondays, answers questions about regional history, government, schools and roads. Call 381-2800 and enter 2002. Fax 755-4150. E-mail wschaefer@enquirer.com. Mail The Cincinnati Enquirer, 7700 Service Center Drive, West Chester, OH 45069. Include name, neighborhood and phone.
       

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