ThisWeek CW 01/31/2013
Thanks to a funding award, improvements to Gender Road will continue through 2014.
The Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) recently awarded a $1.6 million grant for the Gender Road Phase III Project.
According to Canal Winchester Public Service Director Matt Peoples, the remaining $2.1 million will be covered by local funds split between Canal Winchester and Lithopolis.
“We are thrilled with the funding we received from OPWC and are eager to get this project moving forward,” Peoples said.
The project will replace the traditional, signaled intersection at Gender and Lithopolis roads with a modern roundabout traffic circle design.
“Traffic congestion at this intersection has been an issue for years and the severe angle of the right turn can be tricky to maneuver,” Peoples said.
Prior to the city submitting the application for funding, city and school officials expressed concern about safety at the intersection in relation school buses coming and going from the nearby middle school through the intersection.
Roundabouts, which are currently used in a large number of intersections in Dublin and Hilliard, allow for a constant flow of traffic in a circular pattern as opposed to using angled turns and traffic signals to time the flow.
“ODOT provided us with a guidance document on implementing roundabouts and we’re definitely going to have to do some public education on this because it will be the first one in this part of the county,” Peoples said.
“Dublin and Hilliard have both put some training together that they provide people with things like YouTube videos so we’ll look at that too.”
The city (along with partners in Lithopolis, Franklin County and at ODOT), are currently working with engineering contractors EMH&T on project design work which they plan to have completed in time to begin construction in early 2014.
Initial design drawings of the new, roundabout style intersection, can be viewed at www.canalwinchester ohio. gov.