After decades of talk and plenty of traffic, a new I-75 interchange at Millikin Road in Liberty Township is finally within striking distance. State and local officials say they have lined up nearly $86 million for the long-planned project, a move that could reshape the busy stretch of interstate between Cincinnati and Dayton, open up hundreds of acres for commercial development, and trim commute times into nearby job centers.
Funding and footprint
Local, state, and federal governments are all at the table for the project, which carries an estimated price tag of nearly $86 million, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. The outlet reports the new exit would provide direct access to roughly 950 acres and place it within an easy drive of about half a million residents. Those figures cap off a years-long push by area officials to lock in outside support and move the interchange from wish list to work plan.
Official estimates and the TRAC filing
The Ohio Department of Transportation's TRAC application for the "Butler I-75 8.50" project pegs the total cost at about $84.5 million and focuses on roughly 700 acres that could be opened up for commercial development as part of the immediate project area. The filing outlines a new TRAC construction request of $27 million, with the remaining dollars coming from local and other non-TRAC commitments.
The TRAC packet also lays out the timeline for environmental clearance, design, right-of-way acquisition, and utility work, along with the detailed budget and schedule used to shape the construction request in ODOT's TRAC application.
Local leaders and community input
The Butler County Transportation Improvement District and Liberty Township have been steering the proposal and organizing public outreach while they pieced together the funding package, according to the TID's project information. Township leaders have repeatedly framed the interchange as a cornerstone of long-term growth.
They also emphasize just how long the idea has been floating around. "It's probably been almost 25 years that we've talked about it," Trustee Tom Farrell told FOX19, underscoring the sense among local officials that the project is overdue.
What residents and developers might see
Liberty Township planning materials highlight the new exit's potential to shorten commutes into nearby population centers, estimating it would connect to roughly 450,000 residents within a 10-mile radius. That access is a core part of how officials pitch the interchange's role in job creation and in growing the local tax base.
On the ground, planners say the goal is twofold: relieve congestion on nearby roads and unlock land for new offices, warehouses, and retail projects that developers have been eyeing for years. The hope is that improved access will make the area more attractive for employers while giving drivers a break from current bottlenecks.
Next steps
With the TRAC application submitted and local funding matches identified, attention now turns to TRAC's final funding decision and to the detailed engineering and right-of-way schedule. Those steps will determine how quickly the project can move from planning boards to actual construction.
Maps, exhibits, and open-house materials for the Millikin Road interchange are available on the project's public portal. For planning documents and ongoing updates, residents can check the project site along with the Butler County Transportation Improvement District's current projects page.
