FAIRFIELD – A long-awaited project that will widen South Gilmore Road between Mack and Resor roads begins Monday, June 3.

It is one of two projects that may cause traffic woes for several months for those traveling in the area with road closings accompanying the construction.

The second project replaces the deck and repairs beams on the bridge over the CSX railroad tracks on Bilstein Boulevard at the Hamilton-Fairfield border near Fairfield Senior High School. The city of Hamilton is handling that project.

Grants fund most of both projects.

South Gilmore Road project

An additional southbound through lane will be added to South Gilmore Road between Resor and Mack roads.

“The two lanes to one approach at Resor causes people to weave, cut each other off and traffic backs up over the hill with limited sight distance,’’ said Ben Mann, Fairfield’s public works director. A raised center median will also be added for a future turn lane and to separate traffic, Mann said.

The road will be closed for 30 days beginning Monday, June 3, to allow for the installation of larger storm sewers. The road will be open for the rest of the project, expected to be mostly finished by year’s end.

Sidewalks will be added on the west side of South Gilmore Road between Mack Road and Planet Drive. The intersection at Resor will be upgraded with an illuminated street sign and mast-arm design.

The John R. Jurgensen Co. is the contractor for the $4.5 million project. The city received nearly $2.5 million from the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana Regional Council of Governments. Fairfield pays the remaining $2 million.

Bilstein Boulevard bridge improvements

Beginning June 3, Hamilton will close Bilstein Boulevard for nine months for rehabilitation work on the bridge over the CSX railroad lines.

Sunesi Construction is the contractor for the $2.3 million project. It includes repairing and then painting the steel beams under the deck and removing and replacing the full bridge deck, said Rich Engel, Hamilton’s director of engineering.

Hamilton is receiving a $2 million grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to offset the project’s cost.

Bilstein Boulevard will be open to Standen Drive in Hamilton. Once it crosses the Hamilton/Fairfield border it becomes Holden Boulevard and will be open to Fairfield Senior High School and Compass Elementary School. When the road crosses Ohio 4 it becomes South Gilmore Road.

Detours will be posted and include Port Union Road/Ohio 4 Bypass and Symmes Road.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fairfield projects to widen South Gilmore, replace bridge start Monday