DAYTON — A project to improve safety on one of Dayton’s busiest roads has started.
North Main Street, or State Route 48, between Great Miami Boulevard and Shoup Mill Road, will be under construction for the next year.
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, nearly 19,000 vehicles drive this stretch of SR-48 every day.
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North Main Street will go from four lanes to three. There will be one lane in each direction and a dedicated turn lane.
Drivers in the area told News Center 7 that the road work is already causing headaches.
Ray Carpenter works for Barker HVAC and said he typically drives on North Main Street.
“It’s been a real pain in the neck, especially trying to get into some parking lots or some residences,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter said he is dealing with confused drivers, changing road patterns, and nowhere to make easy turns.
“It just makes it really difficult to get where you need to go in a timely fashion,” Carpenter said.
This is just the start of the three-and-a-half-mile-long project.
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Dayton resident Kevin Easley said he sees bumper-to-bumper traffic in the construction zone but knows the goal is improved safety.
“This stop is closed and the detours, so it’s kind of inconvenient,” Dayton resident Kevin Easley said.
Dayton officials said the project will add three pedestrian crosswalks.
“That would help with pedestrian strikes because I do know there’s a lot of things that happen, especially in this section,” Carpenter said.
Officials also said the left turn lane will help emergency vehicles get through traffic faster.
Dayton taxpayers will have to pay about $1 million for the project.
Construction is expected to be complete in the summer to fall of 2025.
We will continue to follow this story.
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