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While construction costs continue to skyrocket, Butler County's Transportation Improvement District has reported several of its road projects were completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

The Cox Road extension, which opened to traffic Oct. 6, came in approximately $100,000 under budget while the widening of Hamilton Mason Road eastward, which opened Sept. 19, came in $350,000 under budget, said Ron Porter, director of the TID.

The roads opened about a month earlier than originally projected.

"Both projects turned out very well and we believe it will have the desired effect that Butler County, Liberty Twp. and West Chester Twp. hope to achieve in their short term and long term economic development strategy for the area," Porter said.

The Cox Road extension is meant to allow access to over 600 acres of land, which has been proposed as a possible business corridor, according to Liberty Twp.'s economic development department.

The savings will be applied to construction work on Hamilton Mason Road westward from Cincinnati-Dayton Road to the Interstate 75 bridge. Porter said the TID plans to begin work on that project in 2009.

The savings were an unexpected bonus to the project, Porter said, as higher fuel, raw materials and asphalt costs did play a role in the projects budget. Overall, construction costs for road projects have increased 41 percent in the last four years, mostly as a result of the increased cost of oil, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.