Opponents say the bypass would cost several times as much and take much longer than supporters project. They also warn it won’t fix the gridlock across the bridge between downtown Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.
The debate has been reignited following remarks in favor of the bypass from Kentucky governor-elect, Matt Bevin, leading up to the election. It resulted in a 2-1 vote by Warren County commissioners last month.
On Oct. 20, Commissioner Tom Grossmann voted against a resolution opposing the bypass, noting it would open up land for economic development for cities including Franklin and Lebanon.
“That will give Lebanon the kind of development opportunities Mason has been getting,” said Grossmann, a former city councilman in Mason. “I’m not prepared to vote for this.”
But commissioners Pat South and Dave Young voted for the resolution against the bypass and in favor of focusing on solving issues holding back the Brent Spence Bridge project.
The bridge project calls for construction of a new span next to the existing bridge, as well as the widening of eight miles of interstate leading from the bridge - five in Kentucky, three in Ohio.
Young said he proposed the county resolution in response to a call from OKI, the regional planning organization working on a solution to funding the bridge project, for help in offsetting growing momentum in support of the bypass.
“This is gaining some momentum in northern Kentucky and actually being toted as a viable alternative,” Young said. “But it’s not, if we’re not for it.”
Henry Fischer, owner of northern Kentucky-based Fischer Homes, is credited with leading promotion of the bypass. It would lead between northern Kentucky, just south of the city of Walton, looping east around Cincinnati into Ohio and ending in the Franklin area.
The plan claims the bypass would cost $1.2 billion - about a third of the $3.6 billion projected cost of the bridge project.
On Monday, OKI CEO Mark Policinski said the Ohio Department of Transportation and its Kentucky counterpart had both rejected the bypass.
The state transportation officials have put the actual cost of the bypass at more than $5 billion. This would be almost twice OKI’s latest estimate of $2.6 billion for the bridge project, according to Policinski.
Costs aside, Policinski said the state agencies found the plan would divert only about 36,000 of more than 155,000 cars and trucks, and would take at least a decade.
And like the bridge, the bypass would require tolls - a key objection for Kentuckians expected to pay the largest part of the tolls, he said.
OKI has no objection to discussion and study of the bypass, but remains convinced it is not an alternative to the bridge project.
“That’s where everybody has a problem,” Policinski said.
On Monday, the newspaper surveyed the leaders of local governments in Warren County along the proposed route of the bypass. Most of those reached said they knew very little about the plan.
After hearing a summary, Franklin Mayor Denny Centers said, “Put the bridge in first.”
However Centers urged regional leaders to take a look at the bypass, in part as a way to relieve traffic on I-75.
“Obviously it would open up a lot of land for building and commerce. It’s something we all need to look at and consider,”he said.
Via email, Lebanon City Manager Pat Clements said the city had “no official view at this point.”
The road would also pass near the Village of Morrow.
“My initial hunch is that Morrow Village Council would be very supportive of this project or any effort to increase traffic through our community. From an economic development perspective, the Morrow community would realize myriad benefits,” village Administrator Rod Smith said in an email.
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