RELATED: Major construction headed to busy intersection
“We had three months planned for that with the hope maybe it would sooner,” Schwieterman said. “As of right now we should be able to beat that.”
The deputy engineer said a new bridge is being installed on Yankee Road and once that is complete, the roundabout can open for traffic. He said he knows the construction has caused some headaches.
“I know it is impactful out there to the residents and to the schools and everything else…,” he said. “I think people have adjusted, when we first did it, it was bad and then when school started obviously it gets worse.”
RELATED: More Butler County road projects on the way
Mike Mayleben, who lives in the area, said it was great news the roundabout is opening early.
“It’s been insane,” he said of the traffic. “But to be fair it was worse the first few days when school went back however traffic is typically a little worse (then). But having that intersection cut off made it just a lot worse. I think there was more frustration at the beginning, but as people got used to it… everybody was going the same route but now it’s kind of equalized.”
Schwieterman said the south leg of Yankee Road should be reopened — although work still needs to be done — by the end of the construction season this year.
The $4 million project, funded with federal, state and local monies, also includes bridge work and widening Yankee Road from two lanes to three between Dutchland Parkway and Princeton Road. A dedicated center left turn lane will be added to the current stretch of roadway that passes several subdivisions and the Lakota Family YMCA.
“Once the bridge replacement is done the road will still be closed at least for through traffic pretty much the rest of the construction year,” Schwieterman said. “They intend to work as long as they can until the weather shuts them down.”
The project will resume next year and is slated for completion in June.
Lianne Nowak, part owner of Coffee Beans & Brew, next to Big Boy on Yankee Road at Cincinnati Dayton Road, said the construction has hit her business pretty hard. She said last week they were down 50 percent from the same week last year and the 11-year-old business has seen a 10 to 20 percent loss in business.
She said regular customers, however, have remained true throughout.
“My customers are very loyal and they’re wonderful and they are trying to visit me but trying to make it through all that traffic, ” she said. “We’ve seen a little bit of a hit but I’m confident that once it opens back up we’ll get a normal flow of traffic again.”
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