Butler County Engineer
Greg Wilkens announces that improvements are coming to one of
the area's most congested intersections. Though still three years
off, the project will involve significant upgrades to the intersection
at Ohio 4 and Liberty Fairfield Road, on the Liberty / Fairfield
Township border.
The BCEO has conducted
preliminary studies and design for this improvement, which would
add two thru lanes (one in each direction) on Liberty Fairfield
Road, add a left turn lane on eastbound Ohio 4 to create dual
left turn lanes onto Liberty Fairfield Road (these lanes will
also be lengthened to increase storage capacity), and upgrade
the signals and other traffic control items. Additionally, shoulders
will be widened and a sidewalk will be constructed along the
north side of Ohio 4.
"These upgrades
will significantly improve safety and reduce congestion at the
intersection, which experiences daily rush hour backups, especially
in the afternoon," said Wilkens. "By increasing capacity
and promoting smoother traffic flow we hope to reduce the potential
for accidents." The crash rate at Liberty Fairfield and
Ohio 4 is greater than the state average for similar facilities.
Approximately 43,000 vehicles a day pass through the intersection
making it the sixth busiest in the unincorporated portions of
Butler County.
"Since this is
one of our larger, busier intersections we felt the need to expedite
work more quickly," Wilkens pointed out. "Even though
this intersection is technically ODOT's (since Ohio 4 is a state
route), this project fits into our overall plans to widen Liberty
Fairfield Road to four lanes north to the Great Miami River.
It makes sense to look at these adjoining projects as one."
A price tag of $4.7
million for the intersection improvement includes right-of-way
acquisition, utility relocation, and construction. The BCEO has
secured a $2.8 million Federal grant through the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
Regional Council of Governments (OKI) to help pay for the project.
Remaining funds will come from the local coffers of the Engineer's
Office.
The Liberty Fairfield
Road widening to the north is slated for 2014. Federal funds
have also been secured for that proposed $3 million project.
