HAMILTON, Ohio — The reconstruction of a busy intersection in Lindenwald at Dixie Highway has received additional funding that will help pay for the project when it begins next year.
A $350,000 Butler County TID grant was given to the city for the $4.75 million reconstruction project involving the intersection of Belle Avenue, Dixie Highway and South Erie Boulevard (Ohio 4).
“The funding came from a mid-year offering and Hamilton was the only community within the TID that was able to develop a project quick enough that would be eligible for that money,” said Allen Messer, director of Engineering.
The intersection reconstruction project is being done in conjunction with Darana Hybrid’s expansion, which will see the manufacturer construct a new 100,000-square-foot building on Belle Avenue to provide space for the company’s three divisions. Our media partners at Journal-News reported in January that this expansion would create 55 new jobs, eventually giving the business 116 total employees.
Earlier this year Hamilton provided a 15-year, 60% Community Reinvestment Area tax abatement to support the project.
The improvements are designed to help Darana Hybrid’s growth, which would allow trucks to navigate an intersection that can confuse motorists. According to a city staff report, the existing signalized crossover at Dixie Highway and South Erie Boulevard (Ohio 4) is confusing to users, especially truck traffic. Dixie Highway occupies property that can be incorporated into the ongoing redevelopment of the area.
While the primary improvements would be the reconstruction of the intersection at Ohio 4, the project also includes additional road improvements, including a 600-foot reconstruction of Belle Avenue and a 1,100-foot widening of Ohio 4 between Dixie Highway and Symmes Avenue.
An improved and widened roadway is expected to improve traffic and truck flow in relation to the Darana Hybrid facility and support the manufacturer’s site expansion.
Messer said the construction project is expected to be in 2025. Hamilton city officials met with the Hamilton School District and Hamilton Caster representatives, two of the major stakeholders in the area, and Messer said, “They were both very receptive to the reconfiguration.”
This story originally appeared on journal-news.com.
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