LOCKLAND, Ohio — If you've driven Interstate 75 through Hamilton County, you've likely hit traffic — especially during rush hour. Drivers have been plagued for years by daily backups and delays.
Among the several traffic hotspots are I-75 southbound entering the Lockland Split area and the stretch between I-75 southbound to SR-126 (Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway) westbound.
"It's a lot of stop and go," Al Williams said. "A lot of frustration only due to the fact that we have a lot more cars, a lot more trucks going in the same direction at the same peak time."
The Ohio Department of Transportation has spent years studying the poor traffic flow and is currently in the midst of an infrastructure overhaul in an effort to improve safety and cut down on congestion.
"We're beyond capacity for this interstate," said Kathleen Fuller, spokesperson for ODOT District 8.
ODOT is in the planning phase of its I-75 Unification Project, which will involve the construction of new northbound lanes to run parallel to the southbound side of the highway from the Ronald Reagan Highway interchange to just south of the Shepherd Lane interchange.
Watch to see how ODOT plans to improve traffic safety and congestion on I-75 at and around the Lockland Split:
As the highway design currently exists, I-75 at the Lockland Split does exactly as the name implies — it splits before reuniting, essentially surrounding the community of Arlington Heights in the process.
The I-75 Unification Project will not only eliminate that design, but also improve safety and ease congestion by widening the highway in that area to four lanes in each direction.
"The flow could definitely be improved," Williams said. "An extra lane would always help."
The project is part of ODOT's Thru the Valley series, which ties into the larger multi-billion-dollar Brent Spence Bridge Corridor improvements.
"This is going to be one of the major projects that we're going to see in this area...we'll be able to see a lot of the improvements to the interchanges through there," Fuller said. "There were a lot of things we were taking a look at, and we were like, 'It makes sense.' There was a lot of land on the south side, and we could unify everything."
ODOT launched a virtual open house Wednesday to share project information and receive public feedback. The website also offers a look at project alternatives and the opportunity to weigh in on options to improve safety, reduce congestion and support better access to local destinations in the project area.
Another problem ODOT aims to address is the lack of direct access to the Ronald Reagan Highway from I-75 south. The current design requires traffic to exit the interstate, use Galbraith Road, and pass through several traffic signals before being able to merge onto the Ronald Reagan Highway. Congestion along Galbraith Road at peak travel times is largely related to this movement, Fuller said.
The public can also weigh in on possible redesigns to improve the westbound Ronald Reagan Highway ramp on Galbraith Road. Drivers do not have a dedicated left turn-only lane, creating significant backups and safety concerns.
"Those are some of the things we want people to take a long, hard look at," Fuller said. "Because we want to correct that, as well as other deficiencies that we're trying to correct through that corridor."
The website will remain open to the public, but for feedback to be included in the environmental record, comments must be received by July 9.
