By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CRESCENT SPRINGS - A proposal to change traffic patterns at a busy intersection here has been delayed until late May.

That's the earliest Kentucky highway officials expect to analyze updated traffic counts at four places along Buttermilk Pike, including the state route's intersection with Grandview Drive. Based on that analysis, state highway officials could say whether any dual left turn lanes, more left turn arrows, or changes in the timing of the current traffic signals along Buttermilk are warranted.

The weekday counts at Buttermilk and Anderson/Crescent Springs Road, Buttermilk and High Street, Buttermilk and Grandview and the nearby Interstate 75 southbound off ramp would be the first in at least 10 years, a state highway engineer told Crescent Springs City Council Monday night.

"We'll finish our (traffic) counts this week and make it clear to Frankfort that this is a priority,'' Bill Madden of the state Transportation Cabinet's Northern Kentucky office told Crescent Springs officials at their informal caucus meeting.

When city officials asked how they could speed up the process, Madden suggested they write letters to State Transportation Secretary Maxwell Bailey or Deputy Transportation Secretary Dick Murgatroyd, a Kenton County resident, outlining the history of the traffic problems and the need for improvements at and near the Buttermilk Pike/Grandview Drive intersection.

Police Chief Mike Jansing had recommended the city make traffic one-way northbound on Grandview from Buttermilk Pike to Buttermilk Crossing - the part of Grandview Drive within Crescent Springs. Changing the traffic pattern would improve traffic flow and reduce wrecks at the Grandview Drive/Buttermilk Pike intersection, especially those involving left turns, he said.

Crescent Springs officials also are studying the change to ease potential traffic problems at the proposed $56 million Buttermilk Towne Center shopping complex, which would be built along Anderson Road north of Buttermilk Pike.

Crescent Springs officials want to lessen the impact of traffic from that development as well as from the Dolwick connector through the Tewes Business Park now under development off Crescent Springs-Erlanger Road.

Several Crescent Springs council members expressed frustration that the state wants to do a study before making any improvements to the Buttermilk Pike/Grandview Drive intersection. They said state highway officials gave the go-ahead to the Dolwick connector without first studying its impact on Crescent Springs' streets as well as an already congested Buttermilk Pike.

---

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com