“It’s intuitive and easy to follow I’ve been through it four or five times,” he told the Journal-News. “It just flows, it’s working well.”
The bridge deck was closed last Wednesday so the unique diverging diamond could be installed. Wilkens said there will be another overnight closure Aug. 9 for finishing touches.
“That should pretty well finish it,” Wilkens said. “That’ll put the top course of pavement, all the final striping, and the remainder on it. We might have a few minor things to do after that, but it shouldn’t be of any major effect.”
The interchange creates a “free flowing” pattern with fewer left turns and traffic signals. Separated by concrete barriers, both sides drive on the opposite side of the road before crossing back and resuming their original pattern.
The $20 million project was paid for entirely out of West Chester Twp. tax increment financing funds. The early estimate for the project was $14 million, but Wilkens had to revise the projection multiple times due to the construction market last year. The township is paying $6 million in cash and sold $14 million in TIF-backed bonds.
“Infrastructure improvements like the DDI project are consistent with the mission of the TIF, which will provide a means for continued investment by developers in commercial property keeping West Chester at the epicenter of economic vitality in the region,” Township Administrator Larry Burks said previously.
The Union Centre Boulevard interchange is one of I-75′s busiest in the Cincinnati area, serving as a gateway to a business, entertainment and shopping corridor that is a regional draw due to attractions like IKEA and TopGolf and major employers like GE Aviation. More than 50,000 travel the route daily, officials said.
Since 1997 when the UCB interchange was built, there has been more than $2.4 billion in real and personal property investments; more than 22 million square feet of retail, corporate office, entertainment and industrial development, generating more than 25,000 jobs in the Union Centre area, according to the township website.
About the Author