It may still be snow plow weather, but the Butler County Engineer’s Office is ramping up for orange barrel season.

While grant funding for some smaller construction projects remains in the final planning stages, large projects with million-dollar price tags from federal, state and local funds are a go, including $2.6 million in improvements to one of the county’s busiest intersections.

Three years in the making, upgrades to the congested intersection of Route 4 and Liberty-Fairfield Road, on the Liberty-Fairfield Twp. border, is scheduled to to begin in early April. Added to the intersection will be duel left turn lanes from northbound Route 4 to north Liberty-Fairfield and additional through lanes on north and south Liberty-Fairfield.

Studies show approximately 43,000 vehicles a day pass though the intersection, making it the sixth busiest in the unincorporated portions of the county, according to the engineer’s office.

Funding for the project has been pursued for seven or eight years as growth in the area increased, County Engineer Greg Wilkens said.

“History has a way of repeating itself,” Wilkens said. “We can look at growth over the years in other areas and similar roads to see what will be needed in the future. That is part of my job.”

Funding for the project comes from federal and state grants and BCEO coffers. Completion is set for the middle of August.

“The upgrades will improve safety and reduce congestion,” Wilkens said, he added smoother traffic flow at the intersection the routinely backs up in the afternoon will reduce potential for accidents.

Another project aimed at moving traffic through a congested area will begin in early May at the intersection of Hamilton-Mason and Morris roads in Fairfield Twp. A road closure will be necessary to add a turn lane on Hamilton-Mason and the north and south legs of Morris. Funding for $350,000 project will come from the BCEO.

“It is important to get traffic out of the main line when turning, which is a cause of accidents at that intersection,” Wilkens said.

The construction of two roundabouts in Liberty Twp. — at Kyles Station and Yankee roads and at Millikin and Maud-Hughes roads — has received some resistance from residents, but Wilkens said the rate of growth in the township makes them the best option now and into the future.

The Kyles Station roundabout is scheduled for construction beginning in April, with state and BCEO money paying the $650,000 price tag. The Millikin Road roundabout, with a $600,000 cost and the same funding sources, has an August construction date.

Residents in area of the Kyles Station roundabout have presented petition signatures to the Butler County Commission, stating the roundabout is a waste of money and will lower property values.

According to some residents, improvements several years ago that made the intersection a four-way stop have taken care of traffic dangers. They said a roundabout would create drainage problems for some and may hinder sight distance for school buses.

Increasing traffic will eventually lead to backups at the four-way stop, Wilkens said, and the roundabout will slow vehicles and keep traffic moving for years to come.

“Again, we have to look into the future,” Wilkens said. “Traffic is going to grow and we want something in place that can handle more capacity. The truth of the matter is four-way stops eventually hinder traffic flow and can create more rear end collisions.”

The engineer said his office faces some resistance with just about every project they plan.

“People don’t like change,” Wilkens said. He added if everyone lived without change and progress, Ohio 129, which has opened up areas surrounding Hamilton for growth, would never have been constructed.

Wilkens said he understands the concerns of property owners and said there is a plan to address drainage problems and to repair any damage done to property during construction. He also said there will be adequate sight distance for school buses.

Also on the agenda for the 2012 construction season is miles of restriping, resurfacing, culvert replacement and pavement marker replacement throughout the county.

In 2012, $5 million in resurfacing and guardrail replacement, funded by townships and the BCEO, was completed.