U.S.68/S.R. 32 ramp reopens May 5

After only five weeks on a resurfacing job in Brown County, contractors for the Ohio Department of Transportation – District 9 have expedited their efforts and will reopen the on-ramp from U.S. 68 to state Route 32 West later this evening.

According to ODOT District 9 Deputy Director James A. Brushart, crews from Complete General Construction, subcontractors on the project, have been working fast for the last month to accelerate the first phase of construction for a four-lane resurfacing and rehabilitation project on state Route 32 in Brown County. Working 30 of the 36 calendar days since the start of the project, the ramp is scheduled to be open by 6 p.m. today, May 5.

“Given the geometrics of the merge lane to the highway’s mainline and the nature of work to be completed, a full closure of the on-ramp to Route 32 was deemed necessary,” said Brushart. “While closure was necessary for the safety of both motorists and work crews during this phase of construction, our goal was to accelerate this project to diminish the impact to the community, and our contractors have worked quickly to trim the planned 45-day schedule.”

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the project includes the resurfacing of pavement and rehabilitation of structures between the Clermont County line and the U.S. Route 68 overpass at Mt. Orab. While traffic is being maintained on S.R. 32 in at least one lane in each direction throughout construction, the ramps from U.S. 68 to S.R. 32 must be closed. However, the second ramp closure, from U.S. 68 to S.R. East, will not go into effect until after the Memorial Day holiday.

The John R. Jurgensen Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a contract in the amount of approximately $4.09 million, and the scheduled completion date for all work is October 31, 2010.