State Route 129
State Route 129
The original public hearings for the 10.7 mile “interstate like” corridor actually started back in 1972. Butler County and other local officials saw the difficulties in pushing this project to completion, which was originally estimated at $34.7 million in 1972. This ultimately led to legislation that provided for Transportation Improvement Districts and in December 1993, the Butler County Commission created the Butler County TID.
In September 1995, the TID officially took over engineering and right-of-way of the project to expedite the process. The TID received a $10 million loan through the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) program, the first in the State of Ohio.
In late 1996, the TID and ODOT entered into an agreement committing ODOT to participate in the project and resulted in the TID committing to make improvements to local roads, including creating the Union Centre Interchange and Boulevard, the widening of State Route 747 and the extension and widening of Muhlhauser Road.
During 1997, the TID received an additional $25 million through the SIB as part of the overall agreement for constructing these related projects. The three SIB loans were repaid at the end of 1997 when the TID issued a $158.5 million bond for the construction of the SR129 project.
In April 24, 1998. Kokosing Construction was awarded the construction contract with several incentives to complete the project in a mere nineteen months, which was eight months ahead of the project schedule. The project was completed using special techniques constructing full east and west lanes without seams.
The TID approved the use of tolls in August 1998 in order to repay the bond obligations. The only other toll facility at the time in Ohio was under the Ohio Turnpike Commission control. ODOT amended the lease agreement with the TID in June 1999 to eliminate the possibility of tolls by agreeing to make the annual debt service payments on behalf of the TID. Those original bonds were refunded in 2006, completely removing the TID from any future obligation related to the project.
In December 1999, the TID along with local and state representatives opened a new limited access road between Interstate 75 and the City of Hamilton. The project received over ten awards after construction for the various innovations, and the economic development has been exponentially impacted in the twenty years since then.
