BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — West Chester and Liberty townships, along with Butler County Engineer’s Office, have entered into an intergovernmental agreement to widen a section of Hamilton Mason Road.
The project will improve Hamilton Mason Road between Princeton Glendale Road (Ohio 747) and Quail Run Drive. The roadway will be widened from 10-foot lanes with no shoulder to 11-foot lanes with 2-foot shoulders.
“A foot doesn’t seem like (a lot), but when you’re talking semis and box delivery trucks, they fit better in the roadway,” said Mike Huxsoll, West Chester’s director of community services.
Huxsoll said the project is in the design phase, with bidding and construction expected to begin in about a year.
Trustee Ann Becker said township officials have been working with the Butler County Engineer’s Office to bring older roadways, like Hamilton Mason Road, up to modern safety standards.
“We’re kind of going backward and looking at these major roads that we all use every day,” Becker said. “They don’t quite meet the same safety standards that more modern roads have today. We’re retrofitting a lot of those major roads.”
The project also includes a left-turn lane for eastbound traffic on Hamilton Mason Road turning north onto Van Gorden Road, a change officials said will improve safety.
In addition, the roadway will be raised in a valley near Van Gorden Road and lowered near the crest of a hill near Bannerwood Drive to improve sight distance for traffic entering and crossing Hamilton Mason Road.
The Butler County Engineer’s Office has secured funding for 90% of the $4.34 million project through the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program, or about $3.9 million.
The Van Gorden Road turn-lane improvement was not included in the grant and will be funded equally by West Chester and Liberty townships at an estimated total cost of $159,340.
The two townships also will each contribute $276,800 toward right-of-way acquisition and roadway construction. The engineer’s office will cover the full cost of surveying, engineering and plan development.
