Long-discussed U.S. 35 widening inching forward
Planners vote to take part in talks to decide funding for project.
Long-discussed plans to widen U.S. 35 from east Dayton to Beavercreek inched closer to becoming a reality after a vote by a metropolitan planning organization.
Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission members overwhelmingly voted last week in favor of allowing the commission to take part in negotiations with state transportation groups about potentially funding the project.
Studies and local stakeholders for years have called for extending U.S. 35’s three lanes from east Dayton, where the road shrinks to two lanes, out to Interstate 675.
Local officials say the road has a dangerous bottleneck that hurts traffic flows and has contributed to auto crashes.
“As you know, it’s been priority No. 1 for years,” said Brian Martin, executive director of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
But not everyone agrees the project is a good idea. And a few elected leaders say Dayton and Riverside should pitch in funding.
MVRPC this month will meet with the state’s Transportation Review Advisory Council and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to discuss funding opportunities for the U.S. 35 widening project.
The project would add an additional lane in each direction on the inside to the median, said Martin. The project would focus
on the roughly three-mile stretch of road from Livingston Avenue to I-675.
Regional planning commission staff will update ODOT and the advisory council of its funding plan and will request Tier 1 status for the widening project, Martin said.
The commission plans to request $8.7 million in funds from the council and $2.4 million from ODOT District 7 to help fund the project.
The MVRPC board will decide whether to contribute $2.9 million in funding it gets from a federal program.
The funds would be part of the next solicitation period in 2024.
Municipalities and organizations across the region for years have wanted to widen U.S. 35, with some local officials calling it the region’s “top infrastructure priority.”
Up to this point, the main obstacles have been financial.
The project was always expected to be expensive, and cities including Dayton and Riverside did not have funding available to contribute, according to the planning commission.
But ODOT has changed some practices that would limit the project to only the essential construction work, officials said.
That has brought down the estimated price tag of the project to about $14 million from $25 million a couple of years ago.
The project needs a local funding match in order to be upgraded to a high priority for ODOT, and the region can step in to help provide some needed funding, Martin said.
Dayton and Riverside officials said they strongly support adding another lane to U.S. 35, which they say is used by motorists from across the region.
“For 30 years this group and the region has not dealt with this project, and I think it’s time,” said Sara Lommatzsch, Riverside City Council member. “It’s our problem but we don’t cause our problem – the region causes our problem.”
But Greene County Commissioner Bob Glaser said it’s a terrible idea to “aim” three lanes of traffic at the twolane section of U.S. 35 that is west of I-675, especially since that part of the road has multiple traffic lights and already struggles with safety problems.
Beavercreek City Councilwoman Debborah Wallace said Dayton and Riverside should contribute funds to the project like Beavercreek is doing to pay for infrastructure improvements at Orchard Lane and Factory Road.
She said “Beavercreek has put skin in the game” even though it also faces financial challenges like Dayton, because the city has managed its money wisely.
“To turn around and say, ‘They can’t afford it, so we’re going to pay for it,’ sounds a little bit like entitlement to me,” Wallace said.
Dayton City Commissioner Matt Joseph took issue to these comments, saying most of the roadway that needs to be widened is not in the city of Dayton.
“If you went to your citizens and you told them you were going to fund a widening of a road not in your community, you’re going to need a pretty darn good reason to do it,” he said.
Joseph said the city supports the project but its budget has taken far too many hits because of state cuts, the economic crisis and other causes.
MVRPC ultimately voted in favor of commission staff engaging in negotiations with the state for funding the project. Glaser voted against the move.