I-75 environmental document now available

An Environmental Assessment Document (PDF) for the $642.5 million I-75 Mill Creek Expressway project is now available to the public.

The project, covering eight miles between the Western Hills Viaduct and Paddock Road, includes the addition of one lane in each direction and improvements to the interchanges at Hopple Street, I-74 and Colerain/Beekman, Mitchell Avenue, the Norwood Lateral, and Paddock Road.

The partial interchange at Towne Street will be eliminated due to low volume.

According to the study by TranSystems Corporation, the preferred alternative would require the relocation of 22 residential and 15 commercial buildings and would impact seven parks, including Mt. Storm Park in Clifton.

Approximately 18 acres of mixed deciduous forest would be lost in the entire project area.

A public open house about the project will be held on February 10 from 4 PM to 7 PM at the St. Bernard Municipal Building, 120 Washington Avenue.

Maps, drawings, tentative schedules and other project documents will be available for public inspection, and representatives from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and TranSystems will be on hand to answer questions.

Copies of these documents are also available for review at ODOT District 8 offices; Cincinnati City Hall; St. Bernard City Hall; Elmwood Place Village Hall; Camp Washington Community Center; and the Main, Clifton, Elmwood Place, Northside, and St. Bernard branches of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The public comment period will end February 26.

Right-of-way acquisition near the Monmouth Street overpass in Camp Washington is scheduled to begin in June, with the first construction contract to be awarded in January 2010.

Major construction for the entire project is scheduled to end in May 2020.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati council opposed I-75/Hopple plans (7/2/08)
Qualls submits OKI 2030 recommendations (1/8/08)