The consultant was authorized to commence the Phase I environmental investigations on the four properties identified by ODOT as requiring further study.

The consultant continues to work on the Interchange Justification Study and the other requirements of Steps 6 and 7. They are waiting for the 2030 No-build traffic to complete the IJS. The rest of the work for the IJS is nearly complete. Resource is assembling items for the Step 6 submittal, Assessment of Feasible Alternatives. Following a meeting with the Butler County Engineer’s Office, TID, and Liberty Township March 10, at which design standards were agreed upon for Cox and Hamilton-Mason Roads, Resource has submitted preliminary typical sections to Butler County for their review, and are working on Stage One design for Phase A and Phase B work. The preliminary layout of the interchange is being modified to incorporate requirements for the Collector/Distributor Interchange and the results from the IJS. This layout will be submitted as a part of Step 7.

One aspect of the interchange design is the impact on the existing Butler County Department of Environmental Services Liberty-Union Water Storage Tank, located in the vicinity of the proposed Hamilton-Mason Road ramp to Southbound I-75. A meeting with BCDES and their consultant was held with TID staff and Resource International. It appears that there is no practicable way to avoid the tower, and BCDES is proceeding with a concept to construct a second tower at their Van Gordon Road site to replace capacity.

TID staff has attended several meetings at OKI concerning the recommended list of projects for inclusion into OKI’s Long Range Plan, which is currently undergoing an update. Staff has also attended several meetings of the group of Butler County representatives to OKI committees. One significant activity of this group is to reach consensus on a unified recommendation to OKI of the roster of recommended projects. It is believed that the "one voice" approach has influenced OKI staff favorably, and resulted in inclusion of all active TID projects, including SR4 Bypass Widening and Bobmeyer Road Extension. (see below).

TID staff and KZF met with ODOT District 8 representatives March 22 to seek concurrence on design standards to be used north of Hamilton-Mason Road. Using the urban cross section with curbs will eliminate the need for retaining walls and reduce construction costs. KZF is revising the typical section. TID staff and KZF met with representatives of the Cornerstone Church March 24 at the site to review the proposed relocation of the Church’s access point and location of the reinforced concrete retaining wall. Information has been forwarded to the geotech firm for location of test borings. The hazardous waste screening portion of the environmental site assessment was forwarded for comment to ODOT March 26. Certified traffic figures have been requested from ODOT. Stage one plans are underway, and due to be submitted to ODOT by the beginning of May. Preliminary plans have been submitted to all affected utilities for mark-up.

LJB, Inc. is proceeding with the intersection redesign plans. Right-of-way plans are being delivered sequentially to the Butler County Engineer’s Office, for action leading to the acquisition of strip parcels for the project. TID staff is proceeding with whole-take property acquisition. One property has closed. TID property purchases and other property acquisition issues will be discussed in executive session April 12.

The consultant, M-E Companies, had developed a contact database, prepared the Draft Public Involvement Plan (PIP), started the red flag summary, received and analyzed crash data, prepared the 2004 AADT analysis and exhibits and submitted them to the Butler County Engineer’s Office for coordination with the closed loop system proposal, and prepared the base map.

No recent activity has taken place on this proposal.