State Representative Lou Terhar (R-Green Township) today announced that Ohio Department of Transportation will release $500,000 to help fund the widening of North Bend Road in Green Township, which will accommodate the opening of Mercy Hospital.

Construction of the hospital, which is set to open in 2013, will bring approximately 2,000 jobs to Green Township. The hospital will be approximately 550,000 square feet with 250 beds, and it will include new services for—among other things— heart surgery, cancer treatment and maternity care.

“I want to express my gratitude for the $500,000 in ODOT assistance to ensure a safe and efficient traffic situation on North Bend Road in Green Township,” Representative Terhar said. “The addition of Mercy Hospital West and its creation of 2,000 high-end jobs will be greatly facilitated by the North Bend Road improvements. Additional medical related jobs will follow because the traffic issues will be alleviated by the road improvements that this money will enable.”

JMA Engineering has been working on the project for the past several months, with Green Township already committing $5 million to the project.