The Ohio Department of Transportation District 3 and the city of Ashland held a public meeting Tuesday to provide information about a proposed project to improve the interchange between U.S. 42 and U.S. 250.
 

More than 100 people attended the meeting to review the three options for the proposed improvement or Preferred Alternative in that area.

ODOT District 3 Publlic Information Officer Christine Myers said the purpose of the project is to correct problems with the U.S. 42 bridge, improve traffic flow and improve safety in effort to cut down on frequent crashes in the area.

"Two of the options include leaving the bridge in place on U.S. 42 that passes over U.S. 250. The other alternative that was selected was an At-Grade intersection. The bridge on U.S. 42 would bwe removed the road would meet in a traditional formed intersection. There would be some turn lanes that would be added to the roadway to U.S. 250 and U.S. 42," Myers said.

ODOT studied eight alternatives for improving the interchange. Myers said five of the alternatives were eliminated from further study because of the public concerns about traffic flow and safety.
 

Myers said the three alternatives selected were found to meet the project needs.
 

Ashland residents shared their opinions about the three options, some in support to replace the bridge with an at-grade, signaled intersection.

Myers said all three of the final alternatives cost an estimated $9 million each.
 

Myers said ODOT will take the feedback from the meeting to reconsider the alternatives. She said the final plan has not been designed and construction on the Preferred Alternative project is set to begin in 2015.