After nearly two years of construction, local business owners and drivers are rejoicing that a $9 million widening project along U.S. Route 42 is near completion.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has been working since spring 2011 to widen Cincinnati Columbus Road between Fields-Ertel Road north to Butler-Warren Road — a stretch of about 3.3 miles that is home to several locally-owned businesses and sees about 16,500 cars daily at the Butler/Warren line and 12,000 daily at Cox Road, according to 2011 traffic counts, said Sharon Smigielski, ODOT District 8 public information officer said.

“(The road) was widened for a third lane to improve traffic flow and congestion,” Smigielski said.

The project to add a center turn lane should be complete by December, she said. Final steps are being taken now to install mailboxes, signs and improve traffic lights.

The construction project was a $9 million undertaking by ODOT, with a $1.3 million share from Butler County for the relocation of water lines, Smigielski said.

J.B. Hutton, owner of West Chester Cyclery at 9304 Cincinnati Columbus Road, said during the 20 months of construction his business was “in middle of it the whole time,” as crews worked south of West Chester Road before moving north of Cox Road, and then finished the total paving at once.

“I had a few customers say they try to avoid the area as much as possible. Customers have commented they are glad its over,” said Hutton, who has been in business 1981. His business has increased a lot over the years as suburbs like Mason and West Chester Twp. continue to grow and develop, he said.

“This needed to be done for years,” he said. “I think traffic will flow better once (ODOT) gets the traffic lights synchronized.”

Craig Sper, owner of Custom Fit Personal Training at 8973 Cincinnati Columbus Road, said he’s happy the project is over, but admitted he didn’t see a need for it in the first place.

“I didn’t think traffic was all that busy through here,” Sper said, to necessitate a two-year construction project. “(The work) made clients five to 10 minutes late sometimes and made the travel time longer.”

Both small business owners said they’ve been fortunate as “destination stores” — offering a product or service customers can’t find everywhere — not to see a negative impact on their business during the construction. Sper said some businesses weren’t as lucky, citing the closure of a Green Mountain coffee kiosk, which operated in a nearby parking lot.