Peter Dill of Monroe said he opposes the project, which he was unaware of since he travels a lot, because it would uproot people from their homes to make way for the extension.
“I’m not a big fan of people being forced out of their homes. How do they (the state) find out what fair market value is?” said Dill, who has lived in Monroe for two years.
“Plus, I’m a tree hugger. I don’t like to see new construction. It really has nothing to do with Trenton, it’s MillerCoors. I bet they’re the driving force behind it,” he said.
However, Mike Barr of Trenton said he would love to see Ohio 63 extended. “If you look at the (traffic) blockage we have today, it absolutely tears this town up,” he said.
“At 5 p.m., if you have a train come through, you’re backed up almost back to Engles Corner. I would rather have that (Ohio 63) extended. I’ve been waiting for that for 25 years. I’d love to see it happen,” he said.
Extending Ohio 63 to Seven Mile has been on the drawing board since 1979, when Miller Brewing Company announced it would build a brewery in Butler County.
Back then, state and county officials said they would create a Trenton bypass, which would begin on the east side of the city, loop south and connect with existing Ohio 73 west of Trenton. In later years, the project would be billed as an extension of Ohio 63.
But more than 20 years later, there is still no project, no funds and no support from the city of Monroe, which would deal with the brunt of the traffic flowing to the highway.
And according to county officials, time is of the essence.
“We think this is a good project, good for economic development and good for transportation,” said Greg Wilkens, Butler County engineer. “Time has become critical because any new development will close up that corridor and it is gone forever.”
Plans for Ohio 63 extension date to 1979
More than 20 years have passed since state and county officials first discussed opening a corridor to the west side of the county via Ohio 63. And after all that time, a lack of funds and support has the project on the brink of extinction.
Besides Monroe’s recently re-affirmed objection to the Ohio 63 extension, Butler County officials also admit the $65 million price tag is another major hurdle.
“One of the biggest hurdles is funding. It’s the same pool of money we all look for and it’s federal grants and federal funds,” said Greg Wilkens, county engineer.
Similar to the Bypass Ohio 4 project, which started last week, Wilkens said the county also would need funding support from local governments, which is a problem considering Monroe’s continued objection to the project.
But this isn’t the first time talk of extending Ohio 63 west has fizzled.
Back to the drawing board
In 1979, state and county officials told Miller Brewing Co. it would build a bypass to allow for a more direct highway route around Trenton. Over the years, the plan was changed to extend Ohio 63 to U.S. 127 in Seven Mile.
Wilkens said in 1994 the plans gained momentum when it was added to the Butler County Thoroughfare Plan — a list of the area’s top projects. But by 2003, lack of federal and local funds for the then-billed $96 million project had the Ohio Department of Transportation withdrawing its $27.7 million pledge, pushing the extension to the wayside.
With the land around the now-renamed MillerCoors Brewery the county’s next logical step toward development, Wilkens said the project is needed more than ever.
“We just don’t want to see the opportunity lost. We need this for transportation and economic development and a new river crossing,” Wilkens said.
Hoping to persuade Monroe officials to change their minds, Wilkens said he has plans to meet with them to “educate them” on the costs and benefits of the extension as well as to address their concerns.
If full support were given — the Butler County commissioners, city of Trenton and Butler County Transportation Improvement District already are backing the project — it still would take about three years to prepare for construction, Wilkens said.
And the county would still have to come up with the estimated $65 million to complete the project — but Wilkens said given time, he was confident they could find the resources.
MillerCoors
County officials have long used the promise to improve the roads for the state’s second largest brewery as the peg to push the project forward.
Denise Quinn, vice president of the MillerCoors brewery on Wayne-Madison Road just outside Trenton, confirmed that there was a commitment to improve roads to accommodate the traffic of the brewery, which produces 9.8 million barrels of beer annually. More than 20 years later, she said the improvements are still needed.
“The roads right around the brewery were not intended for the kind of volume of truck traffic they see today, but it’s the only way to get to the major highways,” Quinn said.
“For MillerCoors, two things are generally pretty important to breweries — water and access to roads (and) transportation,” she added.
But as to whether the company would be willing to chip in for the costs of the project, Quinn said “in considering its uncertain future, it would be premature for any group that has been involved to comment on funding sources.”
Residents weigh in
While Monroe officials have continued their opposition to extend Ohio 63 due to the costs they believe they would incur for their portion of the roadway, city officials from Trenton continue to push for the project.
What the residents of those two cities think is a mixed bag and depends heavily on how much they’ve heard of the plans.
Nancy Kidd of Monroe, who was not aware of the project said, “if it’s going to cost money that is something we don’t have right now.”
David Heismann, who has lived in Monroe three years, said having to pay money to maintain the extension and provide safety services to the busy thoroughfare is just a price the city would have to pay for its growth and expansion.
“It’s like a two-edge sword because (the city of Monroe) didn’t have any problem with the redevelopment of the I-75 exchange to accommodate Home Depot and the outlet mall,” he said.
But with the Ohio 63 extension, Heismann said Monroe generally thinks of it as a project benefiting only Trenton and MillerCoors. “Is there no one in Monroe that works at MillerCoors? I think there probably are,” he said. “That’s a valid point why they’re against it, but at the same time that’s the price you pay for progress.”
Chris Daughetee, who works at Magnode Corp. on State Street in Trenton, said he likes the idea because it may boost the local economy.
“As a resident of Trenton, it would mean easier access for our new industrial park that we would like to have more businesses come into, which would help our tax base,” he said.
“I know that a lot of people ... are kind of opposed to it because it would cut right through some of their properties and bring more traffic to the area, but in order for us to grow and get the tax bases that we need, they have to have access,” Daughetee said.
He said when MillerCoors came to town they were promised the extension would be built.
“So not only would that bring some (traffic) in, but alleviate some of their traffic issues in this area with that extension,” Daughetee said.
Michael Hiatt of Trenton said he also favors building the extension because it would create another way around the city.
“They’ve talked about it for years. It’d be a big break for MillerCoors that sees about 200 to 300 trucks a day around there. It’d be an upturn for this area,” he said.
“Everybody was against Ohio 129 when they built it,” Hiatt said. “I use it quite often. It’s a time saver.”
Peter Dill of Monroe said he opposes the project , because it would uproot people from their homes to make way for the extension.
“I’m not a big fan of people being forced out of their homes. How do they (the state) find out what fair market value is?” said Dill, who has lived in Monroe for two years.
“Plus, I’m a tree-hugger. I don’t like to see new construction. It really has nothing to do with Trenton, it’s MillerCoors. I bet they’re the driving force behind it.”
Kathy Horrocks of Monroe said she is against the extension because, “I don’t think it would do us any good. It might help Trenton, but I don’t think it would help us any.”
Ben Johnson of Trenton said he would favor it if it would alleviate traffic through downtown Trenton.
“Trenton has a problem with the fact that we really can’t expand the one thoroughfare (State Street) through downtown,” he said.
“We’re fortunate,” he said of he and his wife, Sandy. “We work here (at Edgewood High School) and we live a mile from here, but if you’re coming from any places where jobs are and try to get in here between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., it’s backed up all the way (through downtown). I don’t think they can do anything about it without tearing up a few city blocks.”
Dale Zinck, who has lived in Monroe for eight years, said he supports the city’s opposition to the plan.
“It’s kind of congested down there getting on the interstate (I-75 and Ohio 63) even though they’ve done those improvements. I kind of agree with the city of Monroe. Ohio 63 is pretty busy now, we really don’t need (the extension),” he said.
Dale Wysong of Trenton said he thinks the Ohio 63 extension is a good idea, because it would help to relieve traffic congested in the city.
“We’ve got a lot of unnecessary traffic coming through Trenton. It would make it easier to get around town. A lot of traffic that comes through I don’t believe give the businesses in town any business. It’s just straight through traffic,” he said.
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