ThisWeek CW 08/17/2011
The first phase of improvements along the Gender Road corridor is nearly finished and the second phase is under fast-track review, according to Canal Winchester public works director Matt Peoples.
He told city council’s service committee Monday that Phase 1 is actually ahead of schedule; it was expected to be completed closer to the end of the year.
“Gender Road Phase 1 is winding down. The final pavement is down and striping has been completed,” Peoples said. “There are barrels still there because the new signals haven’t been finalized, so we’ll keep it like that until the signals are done. Three (signal) mast arms are going up now and those are the last thing left to do.”
According to Peoples, a safety issue was raised about the intersection of Foxhill Drive and Gender Road due to the signage, which was confusing to drivers as to which lanes were the appropriate turn lanes. Crews have since restriped the intersection, which has remedied the problem, he said.
Phase 2 of the Gender Road project is under fast-track review, according to Peoples. Plans have been sent to the city, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the city of Columbus. In partnership with Columbus, Canal Winchester already has established a design agreement, which will be presented to the Canal Winchester City Council and its finance committee at their the Sept. 6 meetings.
In other business, Peoples reported that work to reroute a storm sewer line at Jennings Street is almost complete. The new line has been run and crews need to fill the old, disconnected section of line and finish up restoration work.
Steve Smith, the city’s manager of water reclamation, said the new pumps at the water plant are in and working as designed.
“The new pumps are in and working wonderfully,” he said. “These are the pumps that protect basements and keep sewage flowing. Sometimes we had to pump the water three times before letting it in the river and we don’t have that now.”
Gary Schmitt, manager of Canal Winchester’s Division of Water, said the installation of new aerators at the water plant will be finished this week and brought online in the next month.
Also completed this month was the flushing and cleaning of the Ashbrook and South Gender water towers. For the second year in a row, the city’s water department received an Ohio Department of Health water fluoridation quality award, based on maintaining proper fluoride levels in the water supply year-round.
Urban Forester Dick Miller told the service committee that the city will seek bids in September to plant 51 street trees and five shrubs; the work is scheduled to take place in November.
The next service committee meeting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m., Monday, Sept. 19, at Town Hall, 10 N. High St.