Cincinnati Enquirer’s Sue Kiesewetter reports:
Motorists getting on or off Ohio 4 Bypass at its southern intersection with Ohio 4 will have to use a newly constructed connector road beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
No left turns will be permitted at the intersection of Ohio 4 and Ohio 4 Bypass, said Ben Mann, Fairfield’s city engineer.
Farther north on the bypass, the Ohio Department of Transportation recently introduced a new system at three intersections that don’t allow motorists to make direct left turns onto the bypass; instead they must turn right then turn left at new turn lanes. The change was made to speed traffic flow.
The new 600-foot-long connector road at the southern end is part of Fairfield’s portion of the Ohio 4 Bypass improvement project. It will be known as Diversion Road.
When the city begins switching traffic from existing pavement to the new road at 8 p.m., southbound traffic exiting the bypass will be directed to Diversion Road. From there they can go north or south on Ohio 4, Mann said.
Temporary lighted message boards have been placed on Ohio 4 to alert drivers of the changes. Permanent, lighted guide signs have also been placed on Ohio 4, Diversion Road and Ohio 4 Bypass.
Southbound motorists exiting the bypass who want to continue on Ross Road will not use Diversion Road.
Those driving northbound on Ohio 4 will have to turn right on Diversion Road and then left onto the bypass.
Once construction is completed next summer, northbound motorists will be able to turn directly onto the bypass from Ohio 4.
Southbound Ohio 4 motorists will turn left on Diversion Road and then left onto the bypass.
“There will be some inconvenience until construction is finished,” Mann said. “The whole idea is to keep traffic (moving) the best we can, especially during construction.”
Mann said the city will continue monitoring the traffic signals in the area and make adjustments as needed.
When Fairfield’s portion of the project is finished late next summer, there will be two northbound and two southbound lanes on the bypass between Ohio 4 and Symmes Road, Mann said.
The city has completed the new bridge over the railroad. The deck will be taken off the old bridge, which will be raised before a new deck is placed on it. The refurbished existing bridge will handle the two northbound traffic lanes; southbound traffic will be directed onto the new bridge once the project is finished.
Until that happens there will be one northbound and one southbound lane on the new bridge.
More information on the configurations and project details including traffic simulations can be found on the city’s website, www.fairfield-city.org.
