The Clermont County government announced last Monday that drivers along State Route 32 can now travel through the Union Township and Batavia Township corridor with fewer stops and smoother connections than ever before. The announcement comes after the county’s largest public works project in 50 years reached completion.
The final ramp at Glen Este-Withamsville Road opened to traffic in late September, marking the end of a decade-long, $200 million effort to improve a 4.5-mile stretch of SR-32 east of Interstate 275. The project began in 2013 and included 11 separate construction projects led by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Clermont County Transportation Improvement District.
Officials say the improvements will accommodate traffic growth over the next 20 years while making travel safer and easier for residents, commuters, and businesses. The project’s completion comes at a critical time for residents, as nonprofit organizers and local leaders steward Clermont’s Agenda For the Future 2035 project, aiming to balance local needs with the County’s inevitable growth in the coming years.
“This project has been transformative,” said Kris McClintick, Clermont County’s economic development director. “Improving access, safety and connectivity along SR-32 have encouraged significant new private investment in the central part of the county.”
McClintick pointed to Purina’s new manufacturing facility, residential development, and business investment east of Batavia toward Williamsburg as examples of growth along the corridor. The roadway will provide a convenient commute route for workers, as the factory seeks to expand its local workforce to more than 500 employees.
HealthSource of Ohio and UC Health also announced plans to build a large regional facility in Bethel, which administrators expect to complete by 2028. The completed SR-32 route will likely improve access to the property for both patients and staff.
The Clepper lane extension.
Before construction began, traffic signals and traditional intersections connected SR-32 with several busy local roads, including Eastgate Boulevard, Glen Este-Withamsville Road, Elick Lane, Old SR-74, Bach Buxton Road and Olive Branch-Stonelick Road.
Heavy traffic often caused congestion at these intersections, which also saw frequent crashes, according to county officials. Forums and surveys led by Connect Clermont and other community organizations found that these problems were among Clermont residents' most vocal, recurring concerns as early as 2014.
The project replaced or reconfigured these intersections with overpasses and ramps that separate local traffic from vehicles traveling along SR-32. Contractors also widened the highway, added lanes, and improved connections to nearby roads.
Those changes have made a noticeable difference for drivers. A trip along the corridor that once took at least 25 minutes on a good day can now take less than 10 minutes, according to Clermont County officials.
Old SR-74 improvements.
“It’s been a game changer,” said Joe Abner, deputy district director for U.S. Rep. David Taylor in Eastgate.
Although the highway segment covers a relatively short distance, Abner said the project has cleared up traffic in much of the corridor.
The work also included improvements to the I-275 interchange, a wider southbound exit ramp from I-275 to SR-32 and a new exit ramp from eastbound SR-32 to Clepper Lane.
Crews extended Clepper Lane between Glen Este-Withamsville Road and Bach Buxton Road. They also widened Old SR-74 and realigned Bach Buxton Road to create a new overpass and interchange.
The final phase focused on the Glen Este-Withamsville Road overpass. Drivers began using the overpass this summer, and crews completed the remaining ramp work and installed safety railings in the fall.
I-275 interchange reconstruction.
County leaders say the infrastructure upgrade aligns with businesses' needs throughout the region. Better highway access offers local employers cost-efficient ways to move goods, attract workers, and accommodate customers, while opening nearby land for further development.
In a recent press release by the Office of Public Information, Clermont County Commissioner David L. Painter added, “Transportation is not simply about building and improving roads – it’s about building opportunities for our families and businesses.”
Even before construction ended, drivers traveling east along SR-32 could see signs of upcoming growth. Billboards advertise new residential subdivisions, and businesses have invested in properties throughout the corridor.
Eastgate Boulevard overpass.
The improvements also support the Eastern Corridor, a regional transportation initiative that seeks to improve connections across the eastern side of Greater Cincinnati.
The OKI Regional Council of Governments helped advance the project during its early planning stages. The agency directed federal transportation funding to ODOT for the work.
OKI CEO Mark Policinski said the organization supports Clermont County’s vision for the corridor and expects the investment to benefit residents, businesses, and the regional transportation network.
Olive Branch-Stonelick Road intersection.
Although officials describe the work as one major undertaking, crews completed the improvements through 11 projects over the past 13 years.
The first phase began in 2013 with changes to the I-275 interchange and the Eastgate Boulevard overpass. Later phases added lanes and rebuilt connections to local roads.
One of the largest individual projects was the Bach Buxton Road overpass and Elick Lane realignment. ODOT oversaw the work from 2022 through 2025 at an estimated construction cost of $42.5 million.
Construction crews on Glen Este-Withamsville Road.
The Glen Este-Withamsville overpass followed from 2023 through 2026, with an estimated construction cost of $30 million.
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