Greene County and Centerville want to complete a study within the next year that would determine the scope of the project, said Greene County Engineer Stephanie Goff. Areas around the interchange will likely need to be improved to fix the traffic issues, she said.
Goff said a large area around the Wilmington Pike/675 interchange will be studied to determine where traffic is coming from and where those drivers are headed. This area has also seen a lot of residential and commercial growth in the past decade.
The Cornerstone development — sparked by the 2014 opening of Costco — has reshaped a significant area of Centerville, bringing with it jobs, retail businesses and restaurants.
About 29,100 cars drive on Wilmington Pike daily, according to Ohio Department of Transportation data from 2019. According to that same data, about 57,000 drive on I-675 everyday.
“There is traffic from local businesses, residential, retail, people hopping on 675 and travelling all the way to Columbus. It’s not just shopping or going to work,” Goff said.
Crystal Corbin, deputy director of the Montgomery County Transportation Improvement District (TID), said her group will help coordinate efforts between the two counties and other municipalities that will be involved in the project. The Montgomery County TID was also recently involved in the Austin Interchange project on I-75 in the Miami Twp./Springboro area.
Corbin and Goff said a consulting engineer will be selected for the study later this month.
It is still too early to estimate how much this study will cost and how much the project will cost because the scope of the project is not yet known, Goff said.
“It’s not just the focus of the interchange itself, it’s truly what improvements need to happen around the interchange as well,” Corbin said. “It’s not just an easy fix. It involves much more than just the interchange itself."
Goff will submit an application to the Priority Development and Advocacy Committee (PDAC) asking for lobbying help for state and federal funds for the project. PDAC is a committee of the Dayton Development Coalition. The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission works with the Dayton Development Coalition and other organizations throughout the region to identify projects that may be eligible for federal and state funding.
The deadline to submit PDAC project applications for the 2021 program year is Friday, Nov. 6.
Corbin said if the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission designates this project as a priority, it will then be sent to the state.
“(Getting designated a priority project) brings awareness to the project when we talk to our local and state partners,” Corbin said. “This puts the project on the map.”
Regardless if the project is designated a priority, Goff said the group will get a consultant on board.
“The PDAC application is one small portion. It’s not a show-stopper. We find importance in it, but it’s not imperative. This (Wilmington Pike/675 project) is something that’s going to be going on for the next couple of years and we’re looking at a regional solution,” Goff said. “This is a unique project. It’s two counties, two ODOT districts. There are a lot of parties involved in this, but we’re all working together to come up with the ultimate solution.”
Greene County Commission approved a resolution permitting Goff to submit the application last week. Montgomery County Commissioners approved a resolution allowing a services agreement with Greene County and the Montgomery County TID on Tuesday, which will allow the TID to be involved in this project.
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