When did you last stop at a red light where SR-32 meets Glen Este-Withamsville Road? It was probably sometime this summer. Drivers started using the new overpass there this summer, and the final ramp opened in late September. That ramp closed out a $200 million rebuild of the 4.5 miles of State Route 32 east of I-275, and it took 13 years.
That finished road matters for more than the commute. Eastgate's next two big retail arrivals, a Barnes & Noble and the region's largest Costco, are both going onto land near Eastgate Mall, outside the mall building. The mall itself is tied up by an ownership agreement that runs until 2030. Eastgate's shopping is shifting outward from the mall toward the surrounding parcels, and the rebuilt highway makes those parcels easier to reach.
The Last Ramp Closed Out 13 Years of Work
The work started in 2013 and was split into 11 separate construction projects. The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Clermont County Transportation Improvement District led them. Connect Clermont reported that county officials call it Clermont County's largest public works project in 50 years.
The change is easiest to see by comparing each intersection before and after. Before construction, SR-32 met the busy local roads at traffic signals and ordinary intersections. Now overpasses and ramps keep local traffic off the highway lanes.
| Connection | Before the project | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Eastgate Boulevard | Signalized intersection | Overpass |
| Glen Este-Withamsville Road | Signalized intersection | Overpass with ramps, done late September 2026 |
| Elick Lane | Intersection | Reconfigured, grade-separated |
| Old SR-74 | Intersection | Widened, reconfigured |
| Bach Buxton Road | Intersection | Realigned, new overpass and interchange |
| Olive Branch-Stonelick Road | Intersection | Reconfigured, grade-separated |
| I-275 interchange | Narrower southbound exit to SR-32 | Reconstructed, wider southbound exit ramp |
| Clepper Lane | Ended short of Bach Buxton | Extended from Glen Este-Withamsville to Bach Buxton, new exit from eastbound SR-32 |
The Clepper Lane changes get the least attention, but they show up in everyday driving. The extension runs between Glen Este-Withamsville and Bach Buxton, and eastbound SR-32 now has its own exit onto Clepper. That gives local trips a parallel street to use instead of the highway itself.
Under 10 Minutes Instead of 25
Clermont County officials say a trip along the corridor that used to take at least 25 minutes on a good day can now take less than 10. That cuts more than half the time from the old good-day trip, and on a bad day the old trip ran longer. Joe Abner, deputy district director in Eastgate for U.S. Rep. David Taylor, told Connect Clermont the project "has been a game changer." He said that even though the highway segment is short, the work has cleared up traffic through much of the corridor.
County officials also tie the road to investment. Kris McClintick, Clermont County's economic development director, said better access, safety and connectivity along SR-32 have brought significant new private investment to the central part of the county. Officials say the improvements are built to handle traffic growth over the next 20 years.
The highway now gets drivers into Eastgate quickly. The largest commercial property along it is moving much more slowly.
The Mall Is Running on a 2030 Clock
Eastgate Mall opened in 1980 with nearly 100 stores. Local 12 reported in May 2026 that it had 34 stores as of that month, and that two lawsuits involving the property's owners were holding up redevelopment. FOX19 covered the newer suit the same week.
The bigger obstacle is a date. The mall property covers about 100 acres. In 2024, Union Township unveiled a vision for it that included homes, offices, shopping, restaurants and entertainment. According to Local 12, the five main owners on the property each hold veto power over the others' plans until the original ownership agreement ends in 2030. One of the earlier disputes blocked Kroger's plan to put a Kroger Marketplace in the former Sears building, which Kroger bought.
Jack Cary, owner of Furniture Connection, gave Local 12 the exact date:
"March 4 of 2030 really is when the Wild Wild West comes. That's when the bridle's off and everything happens."
From this month's publication date, that is more than three years away. The highway got faster this fall, but the biggest piece of commercial land beside it can't easily change before 2030.
So the New Stores Are Going Next Door
Both new announcements this fall sit off the mall's footprint.
Barnes & Noble at Eastgate Pavilion. Local 12 reported on Oct. 29 that Barnes & Noble's store listing shows a planned April 2027 opening at 650 Eastgate South Drive. That is the former Grocery Outlet space at Eastgate Pavilion, near the mall. An empty grocery space in a neighboring shopping center can get a new tenant within months. Vacant space inside the mall has to work around the owners' agreement.
Costco on Aicholtz Road. Union Township trustees approved the Costco unanimously on Oct. 13, according to Local 12. The store is planned for Aicholtz Road and Ivy Pointe Boulevard, and the developer projects 175 to 200 jobs. The trustees' agenda listed it as a rezoning of 21.7 acres across several parcels at Omni Drive and Aicholtz Road, changing the zoning from B-1 and M-1 to a planned-development district. Before the trustees voted, Local 12 reported that shoppers would reach the store through three entrances on Aicholtz Road, that turn lanes would be added, and that the lot would have 888 parking spaces.
The size stands out. The Cincinnati Business Courier reported that it will be the region's fourth Costco and its largest, with a debut at the end of 2028. That means the region's biggest warehouse store is planned to open in Eastgate more than a year before the mall's ownership agreement ends.
Both projects fit what county leaders described when the SR-32 work wrapped up. They said better highway access helps employers reach customers and workers, and it makes nearby land available for development. The land drawing that development so far is next to the mall, not inside it.
The Eastgate Calendar, in Order
Here is the timeline as reported, with the road and both store projects in one place:
- 2013: SR-32 corridor work begins east of I-275.
- Summer 2026: Drivers start using the Glen Este-Withamsville Road overpass.
- Late September 2026: The final ramp opens and the $200 million project is complete.
- Oct. 13, 2026: Trustees approve the Costco unanimously.
- 2027: Site work on the Costco is expected to begin, per Local 12's September reporting.
- April 2027: Barnes & Noble's planned opening at 650 Eastgate South Drive.
- End of 2028: The Costco is expected to debut.
- March 4, 2030: The mall's original ownership agreement ends, the date Jack Cary gave Local 12.
Item 3 is already done. Items 6 and 7 are next. If both stay on schedule, Eastgate will have a new bookstore and a warehouse club on parcels near the mall, and a mall still waiting on step 8.
The new stores coming to Eastgate change what's within a short drive of your home, and that can affect how your home compares with others nearby. Close to Home Consultants follows those changes in Union Township as they happen. To see where your home stands now, with SR-32 finished and the Costco approved, Get Your Home Valuation.
