By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - The good news is being followed by bad news about one of the most congested stretches of Interstate 75.

The bad news?

Recently announced plans to widen the Sharonville-West Chester stretch from six to eight lanes also mean that the high-speed lane on both north- and southbound I-75 will be shut down at Interstate 275 in Sharonville for most of next year. Overall, just two lanes will be open on I-75 in that area through July 2004.

That all but guarantees worse traffic than ever from West Chester to the General Electric plant in Evendale.

"It is going to be backed up!" cringed commuter Sam Steele, 42, upon hearing the high-speed lane would be closed. He drives both interstates daily to West Chester from his Mount Healthy home. "It will be rush hour 24 hours a day."

Ohio Department of Transportation construction plans for the $31 million project call for I-75 to be reduced to two lanes under I-275 with another lane dedicated to I-275 on and off ramps from March 2003 to July 2004, according to road preconstruction notes that West Chester Administrator Dave Gully e-mailed Tuesday to staff and trustees.

"It's needed and something we have to get done, but every cure has its price," Mr. Gully said. "Now instead of West Chester drivers getting stuck in traffic in Evendale, they can get stuck in West Chester at Cincinnati-Dayton Road."

Preliminary work will begin this week, but traffic will not be affected until March 1. Three lanes won't run north and south again until July 2004, the e-mail reads.

The latest ODOT traffic counts available, from 2000, show 126,720 vehicles per day travel I-75 at I-275. Some 105,050 vehicles travel the interstate at Tylersville Road, which has become one of the most congested arteries in the Tristate.

"When you watch the traffic volumes at peak hours on I-75, most of the traffic is in the right-hand lanes and goes onto I-275," said Walter Bernau, a work zone traffic manager with ODOT's District 8 office, which oversees Southwest Ohio. "There will be delays, but it's not going to function as badly as some may think. Just wish us luck."

Meanwhile, West Chester police are bracing for the expected backlog, which is sure to also clog feeder roads to the expressway such as Cincinnati-Dayton Road and Union Centre Boulevard. Union Centre winds through the township's new business developments, carrying about 44,000 cars per day just west of the I-75 interchange.

"We will certainly monitor it and try to coordinate this with the highway patrol," West Chester Police Chief John Bruce said.

Interstate 75 will be widened from three to four lanes on each side from Tylersville Road in West Chester in southeastern Butler County to Kemper Road in Sharonville in northern Hamilton County.

The improvements at I-75 are expected to open a rush-hour bottleneck at I-275 and in West Chester at Union Centre on most mornings and evenings to Cincinnati-Dayton Road and Tylersville Road.

West Chester motorists should expect construction detours to start in March. The Allen Road Bridge over the interstate will be shut down from March to September to reconstruct a new overpass. In April, the West Chester Road overpass also will close for six months.

The double bridge closure worries Joe Hinson, president and chief executive officer of the Southeastern Butler County Chamber of Commerce. He already has contacted ODOT officials and plans to talk to county leaders about the overpasses shutting down at the same time, saying it will negatively affect traffic and businesses.

"I don't care what kind of infrastructure you have," Mr. Hinson said. "You're not built to handle something like that. We understand we have to have progress and move forward. But to close them both at the same time?"

After the Allen Road Bridge reopens, another overpass, at Crescentville Road, will be closed for a four-month overhaul.

The project is expected to wrap up in the summer of 2005.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com