City officials approved two contracts with a consulting firm who will look for ways to improve the streets near 11th and Washington downtown, as well as a reconfiguration of 25th Street.
Redevelopment and the city’s Board of Public Works approved agreements with GAI Consultants for each project, for amounts not to exceed $150,800 and $126,600 respectively.
Redevelopment approved plans for the firm to complete a traffic and safety improvement study of Washington Street from 25th to 11th streets, and Brown Street from 11th to 8th streets.
“Included in this is data collection at several intersections throughout the corridor and then analyzing those,” City Engineer Andrew Beckort told the redevelopment commission on Monday. “And then coming back with some recommendations of potential safety and traffic improvements, as well as a site visit and then a report.”
GAI will also analyze the new Rubicon development at 11th and Washington streets “to determine traffic impacts.” Beckort said the study will look at 11th and Jackson as well, the other intersection to be affected by the proposed mixed-use development by Rubicon.
The impact of the mixed-use development on traffic is something that has been consistently brought up by the public during the past year, and Beckort previewed the agreement with GAI as the project received has moved through the approval process.
City engineering would look to bid the street improvements in “early winter of 2025, maybe early 2026,” meaning construction would get started in the spring of 2026.
The agreement specifics that GAI will get through 30% of design plans on any necessary improvements. Redevelopment would provide additional money to fully-fund the improvements at a later time, according to Heather Pope, redevelopment director.
The reconfiguration of 25th Street will involve a traffic study of 25th Street from Central Avenue to Washington Street. It’s intended to “support a reduction in the number of travel lanes that coincides with a mill and overlay project the City of Columbus has scheduled for 2025.”
Beckort said the potential reconfiguration would reduce 25th street from four-lanes to three.
