Just Askin': Commuters want traffic relief. When will express lane open on I-275?

Erin Couch, Cincinnati Enquirer
Updated ·2 min read
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The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google.

Interstate 275 commuters were expecting traffic relief last fall when Ohio Department of Transportation crews were supposed to be done installing an express lane.

A month into spring 2024, drivers are still being greeted by orange barrels where Southwest Ohio's first-ever SmartLane is supposed to be located on I-275 westbound between Sharonville and Milford.

A SmartLane is a traffic management tool that uses the existing shoulder as an additional travel lane that is only open during certain times to relieve heavy periods of congestion – typically rush hour. A digital overhead sign will display a red "X" when it's closed, and a green arrow when it's open. When closed to regular traffic, the SmartLane can be used by law enforcement, emergency responders, and maintenance crews.

Smart corridors, also known as managed lanes or SmartLane corridors, allow an extra lane of travel on highway shoulders during certain times to alleviate traffic congestion. Southwest Ohio will get its first-ever SmartLane on Interstate 275 westbound.
Smart corridors, also known as managed lanes or SmartLane corridors, allow an extra lane of travel on highway shoulders during certain times to alleviate traffic congestion. Southwest Ohio will get its first-ever SmartLane on Interstate 275 westbound.

An express lane will also open in the eastbound lanes of I-275, but that one isn't set to open until 2028. The westbound project between U.S. 42 and Ohio 28 is overdue, however.

When will I-275 express lanes open?

The express lane on I-275 westbound is slated to open in mid-June, according to ODOT public information officer Kathleen Fuller.

The $22.3 million project took longer than expected due to unanticipated technical and pavement issues, she said. More work needed to be done on the shoulder to accommodate the additional lane.

Here's what the westbound project is accomplishing:

  • Repair pavement and resurfaces I-275 between U.S. 42 and Loveland-Madeira Road.

  • Widen the east and westbound median shoulders between Interstate 71 and Loveland-Madeira Road.

  • Implement dynamic message signs and a variable speed limit for a westbound SmartLane.

In 2027, work will begin on an eastbound SmartLane, which will open in 2028. The project cost is $69.5 million. That project will:

  • Construct an eastbound I-275 SmartLane between U.S. 42 and Ohio 28.

  • Complete westbound SmartLane between Loveland-Madeira Road and Ohio 28.

  • Widen bridges over the Little Miami River and address interchange improvements at the I-275/I-71 interchange.

More information on these projects can be found on ODOT's website.

Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at cinlocalnews@enquirer.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Just Askin' | When will the I-275 SmartLane open in Southwest Ohio?