MASON, Ohio — A new $40 million full-access interchange system opening Tuesday along Interstate 71 in Warren County is aimed at increasing economic growth and providing easier access for area businesses and residents.
The new ramps are making their debut at I-71 and Western Row Road four months ahead of schedule, completing the interchange with both on and off access to and from north and southbound I-71, WCPO media partner the Journal-News reports.
All new ramps at the I-71 and Western Row Road Interchange were open by about 1:30 p.m., according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.
“The Western Row Road interchange project was a major infrastructure priority for ODOT, not just because of the improved safety this provides to drivers throughout the area, but because of the access it has established to the growing regional hub of economic activity in Mason,” said ODOT District 8 Deputy Director Tammy Campbell.
READ MORE: Will it soon be easy to get off (and then back on) I-71 at Western Row?
The new ramps bring with them increased visibility to Mason, a rapidly growing hub of biohealth, advanced automation and aerospace innovation that has seen more than 4,000 new jobs and $700 million in investment since 2014, according to city officials.
That’s something Mason Mayor Victor Kidd said is part of a five-year period of “unprecedented growth” that included companies like Festo, Myriad Neuroscience (formerly Assurex Health), L3 Space & Sensors, Procter & Gamble Global Health & Beauty and AtriCure.
The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO.
