By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CRESCENT SPRINGS - Traffic patterns at a busy intersection here could change this spring.

Crescent Springs City Council is looking at making Grandview Drive from Buttermilk Pike to Buttermilk Crossing one way north to reduce accidents from turns. Drivers heading south on Grandview Drive could still reach Buttermilk Pike via Buttermilk Crossing if the change is approved, city officials said.

The proposal will be discussed at tonight's city council meeting and a vote could take place next month. If approved, the new traffic patterns probably wouldn't take effect until mid-April at the earliest, until signs could be posted.

"We're just trying to stop accidents and keep the traffic flowing," said Crescent Springs Mayor Claire Moriconi.

About 33,000 vehicles a day used Buttermilk Pike from Interstate 75 to Anderson Road in 2002, according to Kentucky highway officials.

The traffic changes were proposed partly in response to a letter from Paul Hemmer, president of Paul Hemmer Companies, said Crescent Springs Police Chief Mike Jansing. Hemmer's building is at 250 Grandview Dr.

In an Aug. 21, 2003 letter, Hemmer asked council to study and fix "a possible dangerous condition at the intersection of Grandview Drive and Buttermilk Pike."

"Currently, the majority of the traffic traveling from Grandview Drive to Buttermilk Pike makes a left-hand turn at the intersection," Hemmer wrote. "The traffic from Hazelwood (Drive) to Buttermilk is a mixture of cross traffic to Grandview and left-hand traffic onto Buttermilk Pike. This has created a bottleneck exiting Grandview to Buttermilk and not only creates a dangerous situation but (is) very frustrating to the drivers."

Crescent Springs police handle about 250 traffic accidents a year. From January 2000 to December 2003, police responded to 28 crashes at the intersection of Buttermilk Pike and Grandview Drive, Jansing said.

During that same time, Crescent Springs Police handled 15 accidents on Grandview Drive from Buttermilk Pike to Buttermilk Crossing.

"I'm sure other agencies handle more accidents, but that's a lot in a concentrated area," Jansing said.

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E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com