Work will begin next month on construction of a new interchange on S.R. 32 in Brown County near the village of Mount Orab. The new interchange will be located west of Brooks-Malott Road. After construction, the existing intersections of Brooks-Malott Road and Bodman Road will close.

The intersection of SR 32 and Brooks-Malott Road was identified on the list of 150 high-crash intersections Governor Mike DeWine directed ODOT to address. The interchange was selected as the safest option for those traveling through the area.

“This project and everyone involved with it embody the Ohio Department of Transportation’s mission to provide a transportation system that is safe, well-maintained, accessible and positioned for the future,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.

In addition to the new diamond interchange on S.R. 32, the project will extend Homan Way west to connect to Bodman Road, as well as construct a new local road to connect Homan Way and Bardwell West Road to the new interchange.

As a multi-phase, multi-year project, impacts to traffic will change as construction moves through different phases. Initial impacts are expected to be minimal, including shoulder closures on S.R. 32 near the site of the new interchange starting in July 2023.

“We are working with Mt. Orab and making sure that we have something that is not only safe and effective, but also aesthetically pleasing,” said ODOT District 9 Deputy Director Mike Dombrowski.

The new road created by the interchange will be named in honor of the late Bruce Lunsford, a former mayor of Mount Orab who had long championed the project.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Mount Orab Mayor Joe Howser. “I know the late Bruce Lunsford is looking down and saying ‘here we are.’”

The project was awarded to John R. Jurgenson Company for $17.9 million. It is estimated to complete in summer 2025.

Information for this story was provided by Jamie Wheeler, executive director, Highland County Chamber of Commerce.