The Good News about Austin Road

What more can be said about Austin Road?

That the interchange will finally be under construction.

Buried in this article about downtown interests complaining about the hockey arena proposal is the good news that the bids have been opened and the low bid was well below the estimate:

The Ohio Department of Transportation has opened bids on the interchange project and expects to award the work next week, according to Denise Heitkamp, a spokeswoman for ODOT's District 7. John R. Jurgensen Co. of Cincinnati submitted the apparent low bid, $22 million, Heitkamp said.

Jurgensen's bid came in nearly 20 percent lower than the state estimate of $27.5 million.

Of course the fate of the proposed arena is up in the air. But whatever happens those of us who live in the Centerville/Washington Township/Miami Township areas will now have a "back door" to the interstate system without having to be hung up in traffic at the Dayton Mall and I -675 exits.

At least until the expected development takes off, which won't be for a few years due to the economy.