By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LIBERTY TWP. - A group of property owners, developers and representatives of political jurisdictions Wednesday listed how they would weigh alternatives for the proposed eastward interchange off the Michael A. Fox Highway and Interstate 75, as well as improvements to local roads.

"We'll apply the criteria to the alternatives and see what shakes out," said Joseph Cron, branch manager for Resource International Inc.'s Cincinnati office.

The Butler County Transportation Improvement District (TID) hired Recourse International to examine the alternatives and make recommendations.

The proposed interchange would run east off the Fox Highway at I-75 to join an extended Cox Road, which eventually would be five lanes wide from where it stops at Hamilton-Mason Road to Ohio 63 in Monroe.

The group of stakeholders in this project met at Liberty Township Hall and talked about what criteria they would like to determine the location and design of the interchange and the range of improvements to local roads, such as Tylersville, Hamilton-Mason, Bethany, Kyles Station and Millikin roads.

The criteria are: level of service for local roads; east-west connectivity and improved access to I-75; additional land available for development/access; improved access to existing homes and businesses; north-south connectivity; level of service for I-75; construction costs; and effect on adjacent land use, including residential.

Resource International will evaluate the alternatives in an effort to narrow the choices.

"There's no favored solution right now," Cron said.

Residents in the area are worried about the increase in noise, congestion and lights this project would create.

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com