Construction for the first phase of the Taylor Road improvement project begins Monday.
As a result, Taylor Road will be closed to thru traffic from 31st Street to Rocky Ford Road.
“The final maintenance traffic details are still being worked out,” said Dave Hayward, city engineer and executive director of public works. “The plans actually call for leaving one direction open. So it’ll be one way in one direction but it allows everybody, once they’ve figured out what the system is, to work with that and come and go pretty easily. So that’s what the plan is, currently.”
Hayward said that the posted detour will be to take 25th Street over to Marr Road, and then go up to Rocky Ford Road.
Phase one of the Taylor Road project will be under construction for the rest of the year and through some of 2021, Hayward said.
“It should be less than 12 months, but with winter in the middle of there, we’ll wait and see,” he said. “But Milestone is the low bidder on the first phase that’s under construction. … First thing they’ve got to do is the storm sewer, because it’s underground. They say they’ll be putting down asphalt by the time we get to the end of the construction season. So hopefully we can get it to where residents will be able to come and go pretty easily over the winter months.”
Columbus Board of Works members on Tuesday approved signing the title sheet for Phase Two of the project, which focuses on 25th Street to 31st Street. Hayward said bids for the second phase will open in January.
“Then that project will start up next spring,” he said. “And we hope to get that done all in one season.”
The Taylor Road improvement project is partially supported by federal funds.
“It’s supposed to be 80% federally funded,” Hayward said. “… It’ll probably come out more like 50-50, because this project goes back a number of years. And our budget for the federal funds was established at that point. Costs have increased but our federal dollars have been locked in on this, so we’re paying a little extra. But we’re shifting some federal funding around, trying to minimize that as much as we can.”
Planned improvements will make the road significantly safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, city officials said. Improvements include:
- 11-foot roadway lanes, one lane in each direction
- 8-foot concrete side path on the west side
- 5-foot concrete sidewalk on the east side
- Installation of a new curb/gutter, pavement markings and signage
- A mini roundabout at 31st Street and Taylor Road
- A mini roundabout at Fairlawn Drive and Taylor Road
The engineering department asked that drivers remain patient, calm and “take extra care to pay attention and expect the unexpected,” when driving through the Taylor Road construction area.
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The posted detour for the Taylor Road improvement project will be to take 25th Street to Marr Road and then go up to Rocky Ford Road.
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