Since the 1997 construction of the Union Centre Boulevard interchange, there has been more than $2.4 billion in real and personal property investments; more than 22 million square feet of retail, corporate office, entertainment and industrial development, generating more than 25,000 jobs.

With opportunities still available for discerning investors in the Union Centre corridor, West Chester takes the next step to ensure the safety, capacity and efficiency of the UCB interchange for the traveling public by developing a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI).

Investment in quality infrastructure is a core competency and a key factor in defining West Chester as a premier community for economic development which has allowed the Township to grow responsibly and become one of "America's Best Places to Live" (CNN/Money Magazine).

The Butler County Engineer's Office (BCEO) serves as the Township's engineer and has managed the Township's largest and most successful road projects. The BCEO has been an incredible partner in the economic development success of West Chester and in the annual Infrastructure Improvement Program.

Currently more than 50,000 cars per day travel the Union Centre interchange. The BCEO recommended the DDI design as a way to increase capacity at the interchange, reduce collision points and more safely and functionally integrate a practical and usable pedestrian crossing. The transformation of the interchange utilizied the existing bridge deck and included the extension of existing highway ramps.

The West Chester Township Board of Trustees accepted a nearly $20 million bid from John R. Jurgensen for the transformation of the Union Centre Boulevard interchange to a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI).

Project Funding

West Chester Township issued $14 million in bonds for the project and paid the rest with cash from Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

West Chester doesn't collect income tax and property tax revenues are shared with the county and other important agencies. Townships are permitted to establish special districts which serve as important economic development tools to attract new corporate investors and help shift the burden of funding improvements and services away from the individual taxpayer.

TIF funds may only be used for qualified improvements within the defined districts or directly providing service to the district. Infrastructure improvements like the UCB DDI are consistent with the mission of the TIF and will provide a means for continued investment by developers in commercial property keeping West Chester at the epicenter of economic vitality in the region.

France began using DDIs in the 1970s and in the 2000's, Gilbert Chlewicki, a graduate student at the University of Maryland, "reinvented" the DDI concept. The first DDI in the United States opened to traffic in June 2009 in Springfield, Missouri. Currently, there are over 100 DDIs in the United States. Below are some expected benefits of UCB DDI interchange:

Safety Benefits

• Fewer collisions than traditional interchanges
• Reduced collision severity versus traditional interchanges
• Fewer conflict points, especially crossing conflicts
• Medians and geometry provide traffic calming
• Opportunity to safely accommodate pedestrians through interchange
• May reduce wrong way movement potential for highway ramps

Traffic Operation Benefits

• Signal operation reduces lost time at interchange and increases capacity
• Signal operation increases turn movement capacity; left turns onto interstate may be free flowing

Bike and Pedestrian Benefits

• Relatively simple pedestrian crossing in the middle
• Eliminates crossing of unprotected free flow ramp

Cost and Impact Benefits

• Retrofit interchange generally fits within existing interchange right of way and bridge structure
• Use of existing structure reduces delays and costs related to delays