By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
The city of Groveport will seek grant funding for more upcoming road projects.
Traffic signal upgrade at high school
According to Groveport City Administrator Marsha Hall, Groveport Madison Schools officials are asking that a school zone be authorized in front of the high school on South Hamilton Road (also known as State Route 317).
Currently the speed limit on South Hamilton Road/State Route 317 is 50 mph. When asked what hours the proposed school zone, with its lower speed limit, would be in effect, Hall said, “Just during the morning when school starts and at the end of the school day.
The school district is also seeking improved traffic signals at South Hamilton Road and Firehouse Lane as well as a crosswalk and sidewalk from the high school to the COTA bus stop across from the school.
“We also have a project for future consideration in our capital improvement plan to upgrade the signals from a pole/wire traffic signal to mast arm signal,” said Hall. “Our city engineer believes combining these two projects makes financial sense and would make an excellent grant application to the Ohio Public Works Commission considering the cooperation with the school and safety issues.”
Hall said the OPWC grant application is due in early September. The applications are then scored, with preliminary scoring results in early December and final scoring results in late December.
She said the current estimate for the project is $420,000, although officials are still finalizing the cost estimates.
“We are estimating the school district to pay approximately $62,000 so as to get points for a joint project,” said Hall. “Our local payment is still being reviewed. One option is to receive a grant of approximately $200,000 with the remainder being a $40,500 local payment and the remainder as a no-interest 12 year loan. I should note we are just now preparing this information to send to the schools and that we are looking at multiple funding options.”
Hall said the traffic signal upgrade could include: conversion of the traffic signal to a mast arm signal (sized for possible future left turn lane improvements if needed); crosswalk and crossing notification system to allow for pedestrians having to wait in center aisle; and a sidewalk on the east side of South Hamilton Road/State Route 317 from the crosswalk to the COTA stop.
Hall said, if funding is received, “We could start work on the project after we sign the funding agreement in July 2018 and be completed in early 2019.”
Hall said the proposed improvements to the traffic signal are needed.
“The school has students who arrive and depart the high school by COTA bus and school officials feel the current set up is not as safe as it should be for the students,” said Hall.
When asked if there are any plans to upgrade the traffic signal on South Hamilton Road/State Route 317 at the Eastland Career Center, Hall said, “This is currently in our capital improvement plan for 2020.”
West Bixby Road
The city of Groveport is also planning on submitting an OPWC grant application in September for Phase II of the West Bixby Road improvement project.
Phase I is currently underway from Bixby Ridge Drive east to Madison Christian School. It is expected to be completed by mid-August. Phase I is funded by an OPWC grant of $407,065, a no interest loan of $254,500, and local funding of $80,000.
According to Hall, Phase II is the second of the three phase overall project and will include improvements from Madison Christian School to a point east of Hendron Road.
“Phase III will then be from Groveport Road to Bixby Ridge East and Metro Parks to State Route 317,” said Hall. “The work is the same as Phase I – pavement rehabilitation and a pedestrian path.”
Hall said the current cost estimate for Phase II is $1.6 million.
“Although we are still determining how best to have the pedestrian path cross the creek and railroad tracks,” said Hall. “This may affect the cost.”
She said the cost estimate for Phase III is also $1.6 million.
