ThisWeek CW 08/23/2012
Canal Winchester has scheduled a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27, regarding an application for an Ohio Public Works Commission grant to pay for improvements at the intersection of Gender and Lithopolis roads.
The hearing was originally scheduled for Aug. 20. It will be held at Town Hall, 10 N. High St.
Public Works Director Matt Peoples said the city has included the project in its five-year capital improvement plan since 2007, following the completion of the Canal Winchester Middle School on Lithopolis Road, just northwest of the intersection.
“This is related to both safety and traffic, but it isn’t only due to the school,” Peoples said. “We just completed a study on the intersection and we found we have about 14,000 cars going through there every day. This is mostly people coming up (Route) 674 from Fairfield and Pickaway counties who commute through this intersection to get over to U.S. Route 33.”
The roads don’t intersect at a 90-degree angle, making it difficult for buses to negotiate the turn, he said.
“Prior to 2005, before we annexed the land, the Ohio Department of Transportation put up the traffic light,” he said. “Before that, there were only stop signs there for two 55-mph roads.
“The signal was a definite improvement, but we’re looking at ways to further improve that now.”
Peoples said the OPWC grant application is due Sept. 17. He estimates the intersection project will cost less than $1.5 million.
“The details aren’t done yet, but we’re looking at it not exceeding $1.5 million. We would like to start in 2014, if we can get the funding for it,” Peoples said. “We try to get everything done in one construction season, so this wouldn’t be a multi-year project.”