HISTORY

The TID has contracted with John R. Jurgensen for the construction of this project. The TID is preparing for the start of the project with a preconstruction meeting on March 23. The project will start in mid-April. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year and will complete the four lane section from the county line to SR129.

News from January 4, 2007

The TID has hired ME Companies to serve as construction manager for the project. ME Companies has handled the final scoping, advertising and bidding for the widening project. The bids are due by January 9 with the TID expected to select a contractor by mid February. The project will start in spring and should be completed by the end of 2007.

News from June 2, 2006

The TID has secured right of entry on all parcels along the phase 3 corridor. There are a few right-of-way issues outstanding but none will delay the construction of the project. The utility companies are anticipating moving the poles in the fall of 2006 now. The TID is advertising on the ODOT website for construction management services. Once a provider is secured, the TID and construction manager will work on the construction scope and would anticipate bidding the project in the fall of 2006. This would enable the contractor to take care of some of the non-routine work before the majority of the construction starts in the spring of 2007.

News from December 16, 2005
The TID executed the LPA Agreement with ODOT and corresponding intergovernmental agreements with Liberty and West Chester Townships in the past month to move the project along as scheduled. The TID is in the process of finalizing appraisals for all necessary properties in the project area. The construction plans are nearing completion for final review and the project appears to be on schedule. Expect to see utility poles being moved in the area around the Spring of 2006.

News from July 13, 2005
The TID has started property appraisals along the corridor having now completed the title work. The engineering is nearing completion with the gas main data incorporated into the drawings. The project is still on track to start construction in the summer of 2006.

News from February 22, 2005
The TID has submitted final right of way plans to ODOT for approval. The TID is anticipating appraisal and title work to start on the necessary parcels by the end of February. The TID is performing additional work for historical evaluation around the Methodist Church entrance. The TID does not see this as an issue.

News from October 10, 2004
The TID requested qualifications statements for ROW acquisition services and received information from five firms. The TID is anticipating approval of a contract at the November TID Board Meeting. There are approximately 50 parcels and easements that will need to be acquired for this project. Due to utility relocation timing, the start of the project is being pushed back from fall 2005 until summer 2006.

News from September 13, 2004
The TID held a public information meeting on September 9 to inform the public of the status and preliminary design on the project. This project has been anticipated since the TID first completed Phase I in 2000. Final right of way plans are scheduled for submission to ODOT by November 1st. The TID will be soliciting requests for qualifications related to right of way acquisition services shortly.

News from August 18, 2004
Stage 1 design plans were reviewed by ODOT on July 9, 2004. The TID, with Liberty and West Chester Townships, is holding a public meeting on September 9 from 7pm-9pm at the West Chester Township Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to present the preliminary design and construction plans of the project to adjacent property owners and other interested parties in the SR 747 corridor. Letters went out to interested parties earlier this week and publication in the local papers will be coming shortly.

In order to try and help the public understand the various phases of the 747 widening project and which government is actually completing the phase, the TID, in connection with West Chester and Liberty Townships and ODOT, is putting together a brochure. We anticipate the brochure being ready within the next several weeks. Below are some pictures for the various phases.

Pictures of Phase 1 - Port Union to South of Smith Road

Pictures of Phase 2 - South of Smith Road to Tylersville

Pictures of Phase 3 - Tylersville to Michael A Fox Highway

Pictures of Phase 4 - Michael A Fox Highway to North of Princeton

The Board of Trustees authorized the Director at the August meeting to proceed with a contract by KZF for engineering on the third phase (Tylerville to SR129) of State Route 747. The contract is being funded by agreements from West Chester and Liberty Townships.

HISTORY
State Route 747 (SR747)is one of Butler County's most important north south arteries. State Route 747 extends from the Tri-County area through the eastern portion of Butler County to a connection on State Route 4 north of Hamilton. Over the past decade, the section from what is now the Michael A. Fox Highway through Port Union Road continues to turn into traffic gridlock at peak hours.

At the end of 2000, the TID widened the portion of SR747 from Port Union Road to just south of Smith Road "Phase I". The Butler County Engineer's Office will be starting "Phase II" in the spring of 2004 continuing from that point to Tylersville Road.

The remaining portion, referred to as "Phase III", will widen the road from Tylersville to the Michael A. Fox Highway. With the recent census data starting to confirm what everyone already knew, the urban boundary will be moved northward. The importance of this adjustment is that through OKI now that project will be eligible for federal SURFACE TRANSPORTION PROGRAM (STP) funds.

The OKI Board passed the current funding plan on February 13 and the State Route 747 Phase III project was part of the approved projects. The TID is working on updating the environmental study as well as initiating the engineering for this project. We expect to be able to start construction on the project during calendar year 2005.