SHARONVILLE — The state's $33 million plan to decongest traffic by adding new lanes to Interstate 275 and Reed Hartman Highway will hit the pavement Tuesday.

        But expect almost two years of orange barrels, shifted lanes and other traffic hassles before the project's intent is fully realized. The project that has been in the works since 1994 will not conclude until September 2003.

        Sharonville and Blue Ash officials say improvements will be worth the wait.

        “It's a really good thing, (but) it's going to be a really good mess,” Sharonville Mayor Virgil Lovitt said. “I just hope everyone bears with us. Once it's done, it'll be worth it. This 275-Reed Hartman project is desperately needed because the traffic patterns are so overloaded.”

        Nightly lane closing will begin Tuesday so that workers from John R. Jurgensen Co. can do prep work along Interstate 275 between U.S. 42 and I-71. The Blue Ash-based company is in charge of adding a new inner lane to both sides of that highway stretch, where safety has been a concern.

        A fatal accident involving at least six vehicles occurred in the eastbound lanes two weeks ago. Richard R. Harley, 23, of Loveland died.

        Jurgensen workers also will add a new outer lane to both sides of Reed Hartman Highway, from the I-275 interchange to the Procter & Gamble driveway, about a quarter-mile to the south. About 35,200 drivers travel that stretch daily, according to the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Council of Governments.

        As part of the project, the 1969 Kemper Road bridge over Reed Hartman will close for at least nine months so that workers can replace the bridge, said Kim Patton, spokeswoman for Ohio Department of Transportation. Closing is scheduled for the fall.

        John Saar, Sharonville's public works director, said Reed Hartman rush-hour traffic can get so bad that I-275 travelers eager toexit remain backed up on the highway.

        “It's been terrible for years,” Mr. Saar said. The new project “should improve the safety on I-275 and safety is the biggest concern. There's going to be times that the traffic flow is going to be inconvenient but it's supposed to be minimal.”

        Reed Hartman has five lanes — two in each direction and a turn lane. They should remain open throughout the project's duration, said Kim Patton, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. Nightly lane closings on I-275 should last from 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

        This year, the Ohio Department of Transportation will spend $1.2 billion on highway improvements across the state. District 8, which encompasses the Southwest Ohio region, will spend $140 million including the $33 million committed for the Sharonville project.

        The Jurgensen company is expected to say this week how soon they will lay down new pavement, Ms. Patton said.

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