Traffic on Woodman will be maintained one lane in each direction during the work, with short-term ramp closures possible, Rauch said. The project is targeted for completion in fall 2024.
“That is a key gateway for our community,” Riverside City Manager Josh Rauch said. “And, of course, the easier it is for folks to get to and through Riverside and all of the businesses and amenities that we have to offer ...
“It is really going to be, I think, a catalyst for helping to continue to drive economic development. So, we’re definitely excited about that,” Rauch added.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
The crossroads is a popular route for U.S. 35 motorists with Kettering to the south and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to the north.
The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission said 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles per day pass that interchange — 20,000 to 24,000 on Woodman Drive, and 62,000 to 67,000 on U.S. 35.
ODOT intends to reconstruct the interchange as the last part of the multi-phase U.S. 35 improvements between Interstate 675 and Steve Whalen Boulevard, according to the state website.
“Due to funding constraints, ODOT has concluded that a tight urban diamond interchange is a more practical design than the originally proposed single-point urban interchange,” records for the project show.
ODOT’s description of a tight diamond says the ramp intersections are usually only about 100 yards apart, with the traffic signals phased so traffic is less likely to pile up on the overpass between the ramp intersections.
Riverside’s cost is estimated at $731,000, with funding from the Ohio Public Works Commission paying “the bulk of our local share,” Rauch said.
Riverside documents say the work will include bridge rehabilitation, full-depth pavement, widening and resurfacing, curb, gutter and sidewalk work, curb ramps, a shared-use path, plus guardrails, concrete barrier, fencing, drainage, lighting and signage.
The project will alter a Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority route, according to ODOT. The stop at Woodman Park Drive will be temporarily closed and users will be directed to the stop at Eastman Avenue, records state.
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