Bright 74 Study

The Dearborn County transportation system lacks a critical north/south corridor providing safe, efficient connections between the highly populated portions of Miller and Harrison townships and Interstate 74. At the same time, the Interstate 74 corridor is an underutilized east/west asset in the northern part of the county which can provide improved mobility and economic opportunity. The need for this Study was identified in the 2012 Update to the OKI 2040 Regional Transportation Plan through the inclusion of a potential new connector roadway linking Bright to Interstate 74, however planning and design for a potential connector had not been initiated. With local funding and support from Dearborn County, OKI conducted a year-long, transportation planning study to investigate options for improvements to existing roadways, potential new roadways, and/or a combination of both to improve safety, access and other travel needs between the unincorporated Bright Area of northeastern Dearborn County and Interstate 74.

An extensive public involvement program was undertaken by OKI for the Bright I-74 Study. Several hundred residents attended the meetings and took the online surveys. The majority of residents did not feel that any new off alignment roadway connectors linking Bright with I-74 were needed. The majority of residents felt that maintenance to existing roadways and minimizing property and environmental impacts while preserving the rural quality of the area were the paramount needs. Based on this, the Study recommended enhanced maintenance to the existing roadways as a short-term priority with long-term reconstruction of North Dearborn and Whites Hill Road to meet the Study’s purpose and need as funding becomes available.

The Study began in October 2015 and was adopted by the OKI Executive Committee on November 10, 2016.

Please email comments or questions to Robyn Bancroft, AICP or call OKI at (513) 619-7662.