Reynoldsburg officials were on hand Aug. 20 to answer residents’ questions about a proposed construction project along Summit Road.
James Miller, director of Engineering for the city of Reynoldsburg, explained the proposed project, which is a reconstruction of Summit Road from Refugee Road south to U.S. 40 – a section that involves both the city of Reynoldsburg and Etna Township.
The road would be widened, with a leisure path and a sidewalk in the Reynoldsburg section.
The storm sewer drainage also would be redone with the goal of reducing or eliminating the flooding problems in the area.
The path of the road would also change just south of Refugee Road to eliminate the sharp corner where Summit meets Refugee, a change agreed to by the property’s owner.
The construction would begin in early 2010, and conclude by the end of the year, but final plans will not be made until the funding is approved.
The project would cost about $6 million. Of that, Reynoldsburg and Etna would be expected to contribute about $1.5 million.
Miller said the money would ideally come from not only Reynoldsburg and Etna, but Licking County, private landowners and Reynoldsburg Schools as well. At this point, he said, the details of the funding have not been worked out.
One question raised in the meeting was the issue of future development. Miller said new school buildings will be built in 2010 on Summit, increasing the traffic. He also said the owner of some of the property just south of Refugee road wanted to develop the land in the future, but there is nothing definite planned at this time.
Another concern was the flooding that has been a problem in the area. Residents wanted to know where the drainage would go and if the construction plans would fix the problem.
Miller said he did not know the details of the plans yet, because they will not be finalized until the funding is approved.
"The flooding out there is a serious issue, and it’s an issue that this project intends to address," he said. "It is the goal of this project to make everything better, substantially."
Miller also addressed future traffic on the road resulting from new schools.
"This road is only about 20 or 21 feet wide. … I just don’t see two school buses driving by each other on a 20-foot roadway when those ditches are full of snow and ice. It’s unsafe," he said.
Delores Trivett of Etna, who attended the meeting, said she approved of parts of the project but had concerns as well. She said the road needed to be improved for the schools, but she was worried about the water drainage issue being taken care of in a satisfactory way.
"With the politicians, and the way they fuss back and forth, you don’t know who to believe," she said.
