But rather than launch into that $3.4 million project, ODOT will wait for more data from the recent retiming of traffic signals along Ohio 725 from Alexandersville Road through the I-75 ramps and all the way east to Normandy Lane, an effort it finalized with the city of Miamisburg and Miami Twp. in March 2022, according to Miamisburg City Engineer Bob Stanley.
“(With) that retiming basically, now you can you hop on 725 going either direction and you can get out there and in (considerably fewer) minutes,” Stanley said. “It eliminated a lot of the stop and go and really balanced out the corridor to help with the side streets but mainly give precedence to the corridor.”
“The existing timing provides two-way traffic flow through the corridor, minimizing the number of stops for a motorist traveling on State Route 725,” said ODOT District 7 spokeswoman Loryn Bryson. “Further studies showed that the proposed Divergent Diamond Interchange would actually increase the number of stops for motorists and create longer delays along the corridor.”
Bryson said that as the DDI design progressed, ODOT found additional design constraints between the I-75 ramps and Byers Road, constraints that resulted in potential traffic backups and more delays than the existing operation.
ODOT said it will need more years of data before it can accurately assess the effect of the retiming on safety within the corridor. Because of the effect the pandemic had on traffic patterns, it cannot use the past three years of data because that data is atypical and does not reflect current conditions, officials said.
The I-75/Ohio 725 corridor, just west of the Dayton Mall, has a high rate of injury crashes. From 2016 to 2018, there were 170 crashes, including one fatality and 38 injury crashes, Bryson said.
The interchange was ranked 21st on the list for the ODOT Highway Safety Improvement Program’s Urban Non-Freeway locations in 2021, based on data collected from 2017-2021, she said. The list is based on several of factors including crashes.
Sidewalk project to launch next spring
A project that will take place in the area is the construction of a 10-foot wide pedestrian sidewalk on the south side of State Route 725 from Byers Road to Prestige Plaza Drive just west of Ohio 741 starting next spring. The new sidewalk will connect the existing sidewalk networks on both sides of I-75 along Ohio 725.
“Currently, although there are no sidewalks or other pedestrian infrastructure along State Route 725 through the interchange with I-75, there are pedestrians,” Bryson said. “Providing a pedestrian connection along State Route 725 between the existing sidewalk networks on both sides of I-75 will both improve safety for the existing pedestrians and make it an accessible option for others.”
Stanley said the sidewalk project is “much needed.”
“That was one of original purposes of the whole project, was to get that connection,” he said.
Other additions coming to the corridor starting next spring include countdown pedestrian signal displays, accessible ramps, crosswalks and lighting.
Those wishing to give feedback regarding the project may do so by Aug. 30 by contacting Tricia Bishop at 937-497-6721 or Tricia.Bishop@dot.ohio.gov.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
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