News
Socialville-Fosters Opening Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2016
SOCIALVILLE-FOSTERS ROAD REOPENS TO TRAFFIC WITH MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO BRIDGE OVER I-71, ADDITIONAL LANES, NEW ROUNDABOUT & PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS
Southwest Ohio transportation partners deliver major Warren County project under budget and six weeks ahead of schedule
MASON, OH (November 16, 2016) – The Warren County Transportation Improvement District (WCTID) announced today that the improvement work that required a full closure on Socialville-Fosters Road at the I-71 bridge has been completed, and the road is now open to through traffic.
Warren County Engineer Neil Tunison congratulated the regional project team for completing the project six weeks ahead of schedule. “Socialville-Fosters Road is an important east-west artery in Warren County for people traveling to and from a growing number of employment hubs and other local destinations in our area,” said Tunison. “We are grateful to the project team for their hard work on this project, and for moving safely and swiftly to complete this work well ahead of schedule.”
The Socialville-Fosters Road project team was led by the Warren County Transportation Improvement District, in partnership with the City of Mason and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Tunison also commented that the project was completed under budget, with the final construction cost anticipated to be approximately $6.5 million.
Sociallville-Fosters Road has been widened from two to five lanes from Innovation Way to Columbia Road, and the bridge over I-71 has been replaced. Additional travel lanes were added to ease congestion for local business and residential traffic moving through this high-traffic area.
Also as part of this project, a new double-lane roundabout was completed earlier this year at Socialville-Fosters Road and Innovation Way, along with intersection and signal improvements at Columbia Road. Roundabouts are recognized for increasing safety by reducing potential conflict points, and improving travel delays by eliminating traffic signals.
A new southbound right turn lane has also been added at the intersection of Socialville-Fosters Road and Columbia Road, which provides access to the newly-constructed Festo facility of 175,000 square feet – a Masonbased industrial control and automation company that represents $50 million in new investment and more than 250 new jobs. A new five-foot wide pedestrian walkway on the north side of the road between Innovation Way and Columbia Road supports safer pedestrian travel in the area.
A coordinated regional program of improvements to improve safety and ease congestion
The work on Socialville-Fosters Road is part of a coordinated regional transportation program that provides safer travel and better access for residential traffic, local business and supports future development in southwest Warren County.
The Warren County Transportation Improvement District is working closely with its partners to upgrade the infrastructure of local roads to support increased travel to a growing number of industry-leading businesses and world-class tourism destinations. Next year, work will begin on I-71 at the Western Row Road Interchange, a project that will provide full movement access at the interchange – northbound on- and off-rarmps, as well as southbound on- and off-ramps will be built to ease congestion and improve safety at this important access point along the I-71 business corridor.
More info about this work can be found at ImagineWesternRow.com, and on Facebook and Twitter at https://www.facebook.com/imaginewesternrow/ and https://twitter.com/WesternRow71.
Media Contacts: Savannah Shafer, Warren County Engineer’s Office
513-695-3302
Savannah.shafer@co.warren.oh.us
Kaity Dunn, Rasor Marketing Communications
513-793-1234 or 317-379-9601
kaity@rasormarketing.com
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