Franklin Township residents need to prepare themselves for orange cones, barrels and detour signs.
The Clime Road project is underway, according to Greg Payne, information services coordinator for the Franklin County Engineer’s Office.
The project, which is overseen by both Franklin County and the city of Columbus, is broken down into two phases. The first phase includes the portion of Clime Road running from Harrisburg Pike to just east of Demorest Road. The second phase will run from Demorest Road to Georgesville Road sometime in 2011 or 2012.
The first phase, according to Payne, technically starts in January 2009 and is expected to be complete in August 2010, but the demolition of the vacant homes near the railroad tracks has already begun.
The trustees are not sad the abandoned buildings go.
“We got a lot of complaints about them, said Cook.
“Some of the siding is missing, the windows are boarded up. It would be better from an eyesore standpoint,” said Guyton.
Trustees said they are not aware of any further building plans once the vacant homes have been demolished.
The first part of phase one, which includes the replacement of a culvert over a tributary to Big Run, will require the closing of Clime Road to all traffic for forty days.
The second portion, which includes work on the north side of Clime and will begin once the culvert replacement is complete, will require a partial road closing for approximately 280 days. During this time, a single lane will be open for eastbound travel only.
During the road closures, westbound traffic will be detoured from Harrisburg Pike north to Briggs Road, west to Demorest Road and south Clime Road. Traffic traveling eastbound will follow the detour in the opposite direction.
Payne suggests motorists plan ahead and leave themselves extra time to get to their destinations during this project.
“This area has been recognized as a high-volume thoroughfare that needs safety improvements for turn lanes and improvements for lane-width, as well as pedestrians and bicyclists, so it’s multi-faceted,” said Payne.
The funding for the first phase of the $7.9 million Clime Road project comes from the Federal Highway Administration and the Ohio Public Works Commission through the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
Once finished, Clime Road from Harrisburg Pike to Demorest will have a middle turning lane, improved storm sewers and water lines, sidewalks, bike paths, new street lights and more.
Cook said he has mixed feelings about the project.
“Living on the street, you’re not looking forward to the construction, but you’re looking forward to the end of it,” said Cook.
