Beavercreek, Xenia road construction projects start Monday
Roundabout project, dead-end removal to affect area traffic.
Drivers in Greene County should be aware of some closures and changes beginning Monday that could impact their travel.
Construction on Xenia’s first roundabout is set to begin Monday following preliminary site work. Simultaneously, the east portion of Shakertown Road that ends at U.S. 35 will be closed for 45 days beginning Monday, weather permitting, for a project that will remove the connection to U.S. 35.
A single-lane roundabout will be constructed at East Church and North Columbus streets (U.S. 42). The project will remove traffic lights, upgrade the pedestrian facilities, curb and gutter, and improve the storm sewer system, according to a release from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Traffic will be closed at the intersection for up to 90 days and
U.S. 42 traffic will be rerouted by way of Main Street/Old U.S. 35 and Bickett Road.
The project is receiving a federal safety grant of $837,614 through the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission. Xenia will pay $279,205 to cover the rest. A $990,000 contract was awarded to Barrett Paving Materials, Inc. in the spring of 2019.
Construction was slated to begin last summer, however minor delays pushed the project back and according to a department
spokesperson, Kathleen fuller, the project needed to wait for the arrival of warmer weather.
last year, Councilman Dale louderback addressed concerns from residents who think the money would be better spent fixing other streets that are in poor shape.
louderback said there is a safety concern at the intersection, saying crews have done repairs to the guardrail at the intersection 12 times in the last 10 years.
“this is going to alleviate that because it’s going to be slower speeds in a roundabout. Also, i support it for the aesthetics for the east end of Xenia. We have a West Main street enhancement, which turned out very good,” louderback said.
At the end of the shakertown road closure, there will be no more connection to U.s. 35. instead, a new, curved portion of shakertown road will end at a new entrance to factory road and a new light signal will be operational at the corner of shakertown and factory roads, said Jeff Moorman, Beavercreek’s city engineer.
only two residential properties will be affected by the shakertown road closure, Moorman said, as the closure will end just east of Greystone Drive.
last summer, a contractor built a new extension of shakertown road. Part of the project will be the removal of the current shakertown road dead-end into U.s. 35.
the total cost of the project is $3.3 million, according to the engineering department. the Miami Valley regional Planning Commission awarded a $1,942,000 grant to the project. the remaining portion of the expenses will come from the street levy fund.
As the shakertown project is under way, the ohio Department of transportation’s major “super street” project is expected to begin later this month, Moorman said.
the idea of building a “super street” along U.s. 35 in Greene County — as a way to address congestion and accidents — has been under consideration for years.