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March 5 2022
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Vol. XVI • No. 5
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Phase 5A construction is being performed on the I-75 Mill Creek Expressway, at a cost of $87 million.
By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
To improve safety and ease traffic congestion, crews in Hamilton County, Ohio, continue working on a multi-year undertaking known as the I-75 Mill Creek Expressway project. “This will serve the tri-state area and the more than 160,000 motorists who use this busy corridor every day,” said Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 8 public information officer Kathleen Fuller. “It also will serve the interstate motorists and considerable freight traffic that it carries beyond Ohio’s borders, as I75 is a primary north-south interstate artery ranging from Miami to Canada.”
Mill Creek Expressway work in the greater Cincinnati area has been carried out over more than a decade. Construction was split into a dozen phases, although not performed in order. Many of the phases, which included building demolition and replacement of the Indiana Ohio Railway bridge over I-75, just south of state Route 562/Norwood Lateral, have already been completed. “The entire Mill Creek Expressway project is an approximately $600 million investment in this section of the I-75 corridor,” said Fuller. “Due to the scope of the project and the cost, it was neither feasible nor practical to design, mitigate environmental impacts, purchase right of way and construct as a single project.”
With approximately 155,000 to 170,000 vehicles traveling this section of the I-75 corridor per day, congestion is only getting worse. According to design year 2030, the volume of traffic is anticipated to reach 190,000. “By reducing congestion, we will be making the roadway safer,” said Charlie Rowe, ODOT District 8 senior project manager/design-build coordinator. “Various interchanges also are being redesigned to eliminate left exits and deficient curvature of the ramps.” Currently, Phase 5A construction is being performed, at a cost of $87 million. The work calls for widening I-75 to four lanes in each direction between the Mitchell Avenue and Hopple Street interchanges, as well as
improving the I-74 eastbound connections to I-75. Walsh Construction Company LLC serves as the contractor. “The Walsh Group is a leader in the transportation industry,” said Rowe. “We’ve enjoyed a great partnership with their team throughout the construction project.” With multiple phases already wrapped up, Rowe said construction has moved along at a steady pace. “It has gone well, and we are pleased with the project. There have been no major issues, as evidenced by the very low percentage of change orders we’ve had.” Each project has separate funding, with allocations from various sources. Primarily, funding comes from ODOT’s Safety, Major see WALSH page 4